


You Grew On Me

by GemNika



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Haphephobia, Loss of Virginity, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Scars, Secretly a Virgin, Songfic, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 06:54:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 46,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16444958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemNika/pseuds/GemNika
Summary: No one knew what song she would sing, or for whom she wrote it, but Lucy was determined to let the guild and Cobra himself know just how much she loved him.





	1. Chapter 1

The butterflies in her stomach just wouldn't stop, no matter what she did. Lucy paced behind the stage at the guild, waiting for her name to be called as the first one up for the night. When Mira had found out that Lucy had been writing music since before she had joined the guild, and had read some of the lyrics to a love song she'd written back when she was still infatuated with Laxus, the white-haired barmaid had made it her mission to get Lucy to sing one of her songs for the guild. Surprisingly, Mira didn't seem to have that demonic aura around her when it came to those lyrics, even though they had very clearly been about the Lightning Dragon Slayer. She hadn't even batted an eye over the fact that Lucy had written a love song about the guy that Mira herself was engaged to. Then again, it wasn't as though Lucy was planning on trying to move in on him in the first place, since it had been when just after their first time participating in the Grand Magic Games. No, Lucy had most definitely moved on. She had a Slayer of her own—not that anyone knew they were together.

" _That's your doing, Bright Eyes. Not mine. And I'd say you moved up, more than moved on."_

Lucy rolled her eyes as Cobra's voice echoed through her head, still smiling because she was able to practically feel his single eye boring through the curtain while she was pacing like a nervous ninny.  _"Get outta my head, Rumplesnakeskin…"_  she shot back, grinning when she heard his very distinctive growl echoing through the boisterous hall. That single sound set her nerves on edge in a completely different way that what she had been experiencing before. He knew  _just_  what the rumbling noise that vibrated through his whole being did to her, and that was when she realized he had done it on purpose.

" _Now you're gettin' it."_

" _That's playing dirty, Erik… Now my panties are soaked, and it's all your fault,"_ Lucy pouted playfully, even though Cobra couldn't actually see her. His response though, paired with how he somehow managed to sound cocky as hell even in her head, was enough to let her know that he was fully aware of her the look on her face… and glad he'd put it there.

" _Damn straight. I'll gladly take the blame for that. I can smell you from here…"_

Lucy rolled her eyes again and sighed in mock aggravation.

" _Keep rolling those pretty little eyes of yours, and I'm gonna gouge them out… Then I'll have a matching set."_

" _I don't think you'd look right with both eyes, let alone brown ones."_ Lucy giggled softly and looked down at the dainty gold chain that hung around her neck, her thumb running across the stone pendant that had a mesmerizing combination of reds, purples, and blacks swirling around one another and giving it an almost fluid-like appearance when the light caught it just right. Three years prior, Lucy would have blanched over the ex-criminal threatening her with bodily harm, but since they'd started seeing each she'd come to realize it was his own messed up way of saying something nice—at least when it came to her. Cobra hadn't changed much in the three years he'd been a part of the guild—especially not as much as the other two members of the Oracion Seis that had come with him—aside from his desire to start his life over and overall lack of malice. Sorano would have come along to join with Cobra, Midnight, and Sawyer, but she had decided to go to Sabertooth to be with her younger sister, Yukino. And she had taken Richard with her.

Sawyer, previously known as Racer, had become fast friends with Jet, and had even worked with him so often that he joined Team Shadowgear. He was a prankster as it turned out, and couldn't help but go after the most intimidating members of the guild simply because he could outrun them—something that Cobra had assured her and everyone else was all in good fun. Since joining three years before, he'd even found a woman and settled down. Something that irked Jet and Droy to no end when Levy had told them she had eloped with Sawyer the week before.

Midnight still refused to acknowledge his birth name, even to the others that had been in the Tower of Heaven along with him. He was very reserved, had given up on that sadistic side of himself that Brain had created, and turned out to share the same love for knowledge that Freed had. Needless to say, the odd mage that still constantly slept on his flying carpet had become a member of the Raijinshuu, and could even be seen having conversations with the other four members of the team with a soft smile on his pale face. The most surprising turn of events for Midnight was his successful courtship of Erza. How he'd managed to convince her to go on a date, to give up on Jellal, or anything else was beyond them all—and both parties were annoyingly silent on the matter, although Erza did always have a highly suspicious blush when the subject was brought up.

Cobra though… He stayed as a solo mage even after Erza  _and_  Natsu had invited him to join the team. He only spoke to Kinana because she used to be his snake, Cubellios, and he hoped to rekindle the friendship they had once shared. He started speaking to Lucy because she was apparently the only sane person in the guild, and she had been determined to get him into a conversation at the time. To the rest of the world, he was a distant, uncaring, and unflappable asshole. Lucy had been lucky enough to get a glimpse of who he really was, to see what his smile really looked like when he was genuinely happy, and how peaceful he looked while he was sleeping. He still had a twisted sense of humor, found morbid topics absolutely hilarious, and was always keeping his hearing (both regular and through his Soul Listening magic) tuned in to alert him to the slightest hint of danger. Where both Midnight and Sawyer had warmed up to the guild, Cobra was more closed off than Gajeel was back when he'd joined, regardless of the warm welcome the guild had given all three of them when they'd wandered in all those years ago.

Lucy carefully peeked out from the far edge of the curtain and her eyes roamed across each of the guild's boisterous members, landing on the table in the darkest corner that held her boyfriend and his oldest friend, Kinana. Lucy was ecstatic that he'd been able to reconnect with Kinana now that she wasn't cursed to live her life as a snake, and she could see every time he looked at the purple-haired barmaid that he really did value the woman that had once been his only friend. He was speaking softly to Kinana about something, but seemed to notice when Lucy was looking at him, because he paused with his mouth still open and gave her a questioning look.  _"Tell me I can do this, Erik…"_

Cobra smirked and Lucy watched as he gave her an almost imperceptible nod.  _"You've got this in the bag. You know I would have stapled those lips of yours shut by now if you couldn't carry a tune."_

Lucy nodded and gave him a nervous smile, disappearing behind the curtain once again. She held the little swirling stone tenderly between her thumb and forefinger, reminiscing about the day Cobra had given it to her. It had been their first Valentine's Day together, when he still had issues with her touching him unless he initiated the contact first. Back then, she had to let him come to her even if they were going to kiss, and she'd still only been able to let her lips touch his when it happened. It was obvious to her that he wanted to do that and a whole lot more when they were alone together, but his aversion to physical contact almost always stopped him. The few times it hadn't, Lucy had gotten to feel his warm and inviting hands covering her own, but nothing more.

That first Valentine's Day, he'd dragged her to the train station without saying a word, and they sat in silence the entire ride. Once the train stopped, he'd grabbed her hand and dragged her yet again through a town, the neighboring forest, and up a precariously steep incline until they were standing on a cliff that overlooked the southern ocean of Fiore. They sat and watched the crashing waves hundreds of feet below them, and just as Lucy was about to ask what was going on, Cobra turned and wrapped his arms around her, nestling his nose in her hair. It had been the most physical contact they'd ever had, and Lucy had been shocked into stillness over not only the contact itself, but over just how  _good_  it felt to have him holding her.

She smiled happily at the memory, thinking about how she'd been able to feel his heart pounding erratically in his chest. When he'd pulled away just enough to look into her eyes had been when Lucy fell head over heels for him. They had been together for months by then, and it was the first time she'd been able to feel his chest against her, his arms wrapped lightly around her much smaller frame. They hadn't done anything more than kiss or hold hands, but the mere thought of him feeling comfortable enough to let so much physical contact happen in the first place had floored her. Cobra gave her the necklace after he slowly settled himself behind her, with his legs spread on either side of hers and her back to his chest. He had tried to play the gift off as nothing more than an obligation because of the holiday, but Lucy hadn't cared in the slightest. She saw it for what it was—he was opening up and letting her in.

A year and a half had flown by after that day, and now Lucy was standing behind a curtain and getting ready to do something she never thought she would. She was going to not only openly tell Cobra just how much she loved him, but in front of the whole guild. He'd been right when he said it was her doing that their friends—Dragon Slayers excluded due to their heightened senses—didn't know they were a couple. Lucy didn't want any added pressure on Cobra when they found out, because he still could hardly touch her in public. When they were behind closed doors, he didn't have a single issue with feeling her body pressed against his while they laid down on the couch and watched movies, or when he slept over and they woke up cuddled up to each other. He still had to be the one to allow her to touch him, but now it was more than just holding his hand or kissing. She didn't blame him for the snail's pace that the physical side of their relationship had taken, because his past had left him with some serious emotional scars that would take time to heal now that he was in a better place. She was willing to give him all the time in the world to get to the point of doing anything more than holding her.

" _You know I want to…"_ Cobra told her sadly.

Lucy smiled again and shook her head. Cobra was quite literally at war with himself over the lack of intimacy between them, no matter how often she reminded him that he'd get there eventually. It didn't matter to her how long it took, because what they had was enough. He loved her, even though he'd never actually said it; she only knew because she had come out and just asked him if he did or not, and all Cobra had done was nod. Lucy loved him just as much, and made sure to tell him as often as possible. Of course, they joked around about things like sex and he already knew just what to do to get her going, but he was nowhere near ready for that much contact yet. At least, not where his anxiety was concerned.  _"I know, sugar. Someday... And when we do, you'll never be able to get rid of me. I already know I'll be a limp noodle once you're finished."_

"Lucy, did you pick a song?" Mira asked as she walked up, smiling and holding a clipboard to her chest.

"Yeah, Mira. We've got a piano, right?"

Mira nodded quickly and rushed off to get the piano up on the stage with Laxus' help, and Lucy took several deep breaths. She shook her hands out, wrung them together, then shook them out again while she waited.

" _You'll do fine. Just pretend we're at your place."_

Lucy wanted to reply, wanted to drag out the moment before she walked up onto the stage, but that thought flew right out the window when she heard Mira clearing her throat as the music from the speakers cut off completely.

"Alright, everyone. It's time to get the performances started!" Mira paused as the guild cheered, their excitement nearly palpable. "First up, we've got a newcomer to the stage. It took some convincing, but our secret songwriter is finally going to share one of her pieces with us! Everyone give a big cheer for Lucy!"

Shock registered throughout the guild in stunned silence for hardly more than a breath before everyone started cheering again. Hollers of encouragement rang out from one end of the room to the other, giving Lucy a boost in confidence. With one last deep breath, she steeled herself and made her way onto the stage, giving everyone in the room a nervous smile as she walked over to the piano. She took a seat, running her fingers lightly over the keys for a moment before filling her lungs with what was supposed to be a calming breath.

" _Damn, I never thought you'd look that sexy sitting at a piano, Bright Eyes."_

Lucy giggled softly as she looked over to see Cobra watching her with excitement and lust swimming in that single purple eye of his. She blushed and kept her gaze locked on him as she started slowly playing the introduction. It wasn't anything special, just something soft and tender that made her think of the first time she and Cobra had kissed. It was silly when she thought about it now, but that had been the only thing that was on her mind when she'd started writing this song for him.

As she played, Lucy smiled and spoke into the microphone hooked to the empty music stand on the piano. "So, I've been writing music for a while now, but this song is one that's very close to my heart. It started out as a way to address this myth that love happens at first sight… Or that it's  _better_  if it happens at first sight. I don't think that thing that happens at first sight is love. I think love creeps up on you. So… This song is dedicated to the one that made me feel that 'creepy uppy' kind of love."

She smiled softly as everyone laughed, a light blush dusting her cheeks, and adjusted the microphone just a bit before she started to sing.

 _You grew on me like a tumor_  
_And you spread through me like malignant melanoma_  
_And now you're in my heart_  
_I should've cut you out back at the start_

Cobra's eye went wide in surprise when Lucy had started playing. He'd known she played the piano for a while, since he saw the keyboard sitting the corner the first time he ever went to her apartment, but the way her soul started humming along with just the notes that her delicate fingers set ringing across the silent guild had him utterly enraptured. When she started to sing, her soul swelled with the one emotion he could never get enough of hearing from her. Love. The lyrics themselves were obviously Lucy's own way of feeding into his sick sense of humor, but that only made him hang on every syllable that passed her plump, delectable lips even more. She'd written a song for  _him_. The guy that couldn't even get past hugging or kissing her because he couldn't bear the thought of being touched and hurt again. He knew she would never torture him the way he had been while he was still a kid. He had even checked her soul about a dozen times to see if there was just the smallest hint of that kind of depravity hidden deep within her, but it was wholly nonexistent. The woman he'd fallen in love with had the purest heart and soul he'd ever come across. If there was  _anyone_  he should have trusted all this time, it was her.

_Now I'm afraid there's no cure for me_   
_No dose of emotional chemotherapy_   
_Can halt my pathetic decline_   
_I should've had you removed back when you were benign_

Lucy closed her eyes and let the short instrumental fill her while she thought about the countless times she'd mulled over just what it meant to be in love with someone. She always thought it was supposed to be this huge, complicated, tangled mess of emotions and self-doubt while they both came to realize what they were feeling. That didn't happen. Once she realized she loved Cobra, felt that odd skip in her heartbeat while she was flooded with hormones,and a sense of happiness the likes of which she had never experienced before while looking up at him that day, he knew it. She hadn't told him at the time, of course, but his ability to hear her very soul let him know the instant it happened- and that it was more than infatuation, but actual love. He had eventually told her what it sounded like to him whenever she thought about him, or when he wasn't in the guild and suddenly showed up. If there was ever a time that Cobra could be considered a true romantic, it was when he was describing the unique way her soul thrummed at the mere thought of him, how some soft melodic harmony would start echoing inside of her and consequently into his head. He'd told her it was probably the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard, and even more so because it was Lucy that was feeling that way.

_I picked you up like a virus_   
_Like meningococcal meningitis_   
_Now I can't feel my legs_   
_When you're around I can't get out of bed_

_I've left it too late to risk an operation_   
_I know there's no hope of a clean amputation_   
_The successful removal of you_   
_Would probably kill me, too_

The guild as a whole was torn between laughing over some of the metaphors Lucy was using to describe her love for the mystery person, and trying to figure out just who it was that had made the sweet blonde even more vibrant while she was singing about him. The music swelled, and each of them could feel their own hearts mimicking the growing power of the chords that filled them from head to toe. No matter how proficient a few in the guild were when it came to music, or how much any of the members of Fairy Tail could relate to a song they had heard at one point or another, this song in particular seemed to somehow make all of them start thinking about the one person they cherished more than anything. It was clear that she was deeply in love with whoever this person was, because Lucy wasn't one to exaggerate anything. She truly believed that losing this mystery person would kill her, and that fact alone had everyone wondering who had been able to capture her huge heart so intensely.

_You grew on me like carcinoma_   
_Crept up on me like untreated glaucoma_   
_Now I find it hard to see_   
_This untreated dose of you has blinded me_

Lucy took a deep breath while the song grew in power, feeling those nervous butterflies leaving as she lost herself in the song she'd written with her Slayer in mind. They had spent such a long time together, and without that distraction of a physical aspect to their relationship, she felt that her love for him was on a deeper level than she could have ever experienced otherwise. She knew the person that Cobra was inside, because he'd allowed her to see who he really was. Without something like sex taking up any time between them, Lucy and Cobra had been able to really get to know one another on an emotional and intellectual level that she had never thought was possible. He was closed off with everyone around him, except for her. He wasn't great at talking about his emotions, but Lucy could tell how he was feeling more often than not by the way he said things. When she spent more time with him, she'd come around to his way of thinking concerning his sense of humor. Over the course of their relationship, Lucy had gained one of the best friends she could have ever asked for. That connection to him made waiting for the day he could move past his haphephobia to finally take the next step in their relationship worth it, because there was more that she loved about him than what he was capable of in the bedroom.

_I should've consulted my local physician_   
_I'm stuck now forever with this tunnel vision_   
_My periphery is through_   
_Wherever I look now, all I see is you_

Lucy paused for only a moment and opened her eyes to look right at him, feeling something deep within her quite literally quaking at the intense gaze that met with hers. She knew he could hear what was going through her head while she played, how she kept running through different moments in their relationship, and that each note and word that passed her lips was filled with the love she felt for him. There would never be anyone else for her; that was something she was sure of. Cobra was it. He was all she needed to be the happiest girl in all of Earthland. She smiled when that thought ran through her head—like it had countless times when he wasn't around and she was missing him—and Cobra's eye widened marginally in shock.

_When we first met you seemed fickle and shallow_   
_But my armor was no match for your poison arrow_   
_You are wedged inside my breast_   
_If I tried to pull you out now I think I'd bleed to death_   
_I'm feeling short of breath_

The air in Cobra's lungs stalled when Lucy's voice grew in strength, her soul singing in a perfectly pitched harmony that both shocked and soothed him. All the little jokes about her love for him being like a disease that she would never be able to get rid of didn't make a lick of difference when he heard and felt just what she meant by his piercing her heart with his poison. Lucy had been the only person he'd met that wasn't afraid of him, that never treated him differently based on his past, or the fact that he was overall a pretty off-putting asshole that enjoyed watching people squirm. She saw right through the years of armor he'd created for himself to survive with his lot in life, and like the damn warrior she truly was… His beautiful blonde girlfriend had cut down those walls until he was left bare before her.

_You grew on me like a tumor  
And you spread through me like malignant melanoma_

Cobra was trapped in her honey brown gaze as she let loose and belted out each syllable, only vaguely registering that she was singing loud enough to make him wince and cover his ears… And he would have done just that, if it wasn't for her soul. It called to him more intensely than anything ever before, quite literally drawing him up from his seat and towards the stage. He was trapped in her siren song, and he knew it. It begged for him to go to her, to hold and love her with everything he was worth. He couldn't care less where they were at, or how many eyes had shot to him while he walked past the otherwise enraptured guild members. His sights were set only on the woman that was baring her heart and soul so openly that it was nearly deafening. Each note, each chord… Every small inflection in her voice rippled over his skin, making his aversion to anything touching him disappear while he basked in that warm glow of love shining in her eyes only for him. When it came to Lucy, he hated that he couldn't handle letting her touch him on her own, because he knew she would be gentle and tender—that she wouldn't try to hurt him. So, even though he still struggled with that particular demon from his past, this was something he could handle. He bathed in the symphony that flowed from deep within Lucy and let himself be enveloped in the serenity and love she was offering him, feeling her wrapped protectively around him as only she could do with her soul alone.

_I guess I never knew  
How fast a little mole can grow on you…_

Lucy's eyes softened as she blushed and kept her gaze on Cobra standing just in front of the stage. She had no idea what had possessed him to come closer, to stare at her with his emotions so openly sitting on his otherwise closed off face. When the final notes of the song were fading into the utterly silent guild, her foot holding onto the sustain pedal to prolong the inevitable explosion of energy from everyone that had watched her perform, Lucy couldn't help but smile lovingly down at Cobra while he just stood dazedly in front of her. "I love you, sugar," she whispered.

Those four words seemed to do the trick in breaking Cobra from his stupor, and he shook his head before vaulting himself up onto the stage while Lucy slowly moved to stand in front of him. He could see and hear just how badly she wanted to hug him and kiss him, to show not only himself but everyone around them that her love for him was never-ending. She didn't move though, knowing that even after all this time he'd lock up if she tried to touch him first. He took one final step forward as her curiosity drowned out the shocked thoughts of everyone around them, then his lips spread into a devilish grin that he knew made her melt like butter.

Lucy gasped when Cobra pulled her into his arms, her chest pressed tightly to his, and moaned softly when he swooped down to capture her lips in a heated caress. Her hands stayed at her sides while she waited for him to grab them and place them where he could handle her touching him, but she was otherwise lost in the way his lips so hungrily devoured her.

A low and lust-filled growl grew in Cobra's chest as he slid his hands lower on her back until they were just over the swell of her perfectly rounded ass. She was still frozen in place, waiting for him to let her know what he wanted, but what Cobra wanted was for Lucy to lose control with him. The way it had felt letting her voice wash over him had put him at ease, and that anxiety he'd struggled with ever since Brain took him in never made its presence known like it usually did when she was in his arms. Her small whimper made another growl rumble through him as he pried her soft lips open and delved into her mouth for the first time in months, and Cobra was finally rewarded when her hands slid over his chest and tangled in his hair.

Lucy was breathless, her lungs begging for the oxygen they had been deprived with how Cobra was kissing her. He'd never been so passionate before when they had kissed, and she felt for the first time ever just how affected he was by her when he groaned and gripped her ass as he pulled her even closer. Finally, when she felt as though she would pass out—although she wasn't sure if it was from forgetting how to breath, the realization that Cobra was letting her kiss and touch him as she pleased, or the fact that she'd just confessed her love for him to the guild and was now giving them a  _very_  public display of it while Cobra kissed her senseless—he lifted his head and nipped at her lower lip playfully.

"I love you too, Bright Eyes." One corner of his lips lifted when her breath stuttered, and just as he was about to lean back in to pick up where they'd left off, one slurring voice rang out into the air.

"Get a room already!" Cana shouted happily as she started flipping through her notebook to find the bets on who Lucy would end up with. She had to compare it to Cobra's own page, and then cross-reference that with the time frame notebook she already had opened so she would know just how much money she was about to gain. She already knew that she was one of the only people that had bet on those two falling for each other, since most people were waiting for Natsu or Gajeel to confess to Lucy, and everyone believed that Kinana was the only one Cobra would want to be with based on their history. When asked by Mira why she had bet on Lucy and Cobra, which was the demon woman's passive-aggressive way of checking to see if Cana had cheated by using her cards to read their fortunes, she had simply said that she could tell they were already in love. Mira had scoffed at her at the time, pointing them out while they were on opposite sides of the guild, and told her that they couldn't be more different, and that Cana couldn't be more wrong. What Cana had failed to mention was the fact that she had caught them in passing while they were out in the woods one day. They were just sitting under a tree and talking to each other, but there was something between them, she was sure of it… and they'd just proven her right.

Lucy stuttered and blushed a deep crimson, watching as Cobra's lips descended to hers again while he chuckled. She squeaked in surprise when his hands moved from her ass to wrap around her legs and he lifted her in one smooth motion. Her legs locked around his hips and she mewled softly as his calloused hands slid over her thighs to her ass again.

" _I'm fine with that suggestion… How about you?"_  Cobra asked while jumping off of the stage and taking long strides to get to the guild's entrance. Everyone in the guild was still completely silent as far as any shouts of surprise or horror were concerned, but their minds were all stuck on one thing.

_"Cobra?! How did I not see that coming with that song?!"_

Lucy moaned and pressed herself closer to him, her hands in his hair tightening only slightly while she deepened the kiss.  _"Definitely."_ When Cobra growled again, most likely having heard just how much she agreed with getting him behind a closed door so she could rip his clothes off and bang his brains out, Lucy let out a sultry laugh and rolled her hips against him as he pushed the doors to the guild open.  _"We'll do_ _ **whatever**_ _you want, Erik. I'm all yours."_

Cobra hoped that by the time they reached his apartment—which was closer to the guild than Lucy's only in the time it took to get there—he'd still be able to let her touch him this way. He'd wanted all of her—to drop his head between her legs and see if her arousal was just as sweet at it smelled, to lick and suck and kiss every inch of her, feel her lips and hands brushing over his bare flesh, to gently grasp her bare hips and slowly lower her onto himself, and definitely spend hours writhing and moaning in ecstasy with her—since before he'd given her the necklace she always touched when she was thinking about him. His past had held him back before, but he was determined to stop it from continuing to affect him when it came to Lucy. She had opened up to him in a way no one had ever tried or cared to, and had stayed by his side even when he tried to get rid of her 'for her own good'. No matter what had happened Lucy stuck with him, and was nothing but understanding and patient with his issues. It was something he'd always loved about her, and now he was going to finally show her just how much…  _"That's good, because I plan on taking you up on that offer of keeping you in bed and making sure you can't feel your legs…"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haphephobia is a real and mildly rare fear of being touched. It stands to reason that someone who was subjected to the kinds of things that we know happened in the Tower of Heaven would have an issue like this, and that single thought is what brought about the majority of this story.
> 
> The song for this chapter is 'You Grew On Me' by Tim Minchin (youtube.com/watch? v=frNpdG4F9mw)


	2. Chapter 2

 

Cobra groaned as he slammed Lucy against his front door, not wanting to spend even a second pulled away from her to search for his keys. Luckily, the little blonde had the same thought, because not a second after she was pressed against the wooden surface, he heard her keys jingling in her hand. This was probably the first time he was ever truly glad that Lucy used Celestial magic. The woman knew each of the keys on her rings—both the ring for her gate keys and the one that held regular keys—by not only their shape, but their placement in comparison to others. He would have been blindly searching for the appropriate key for fuck only knows how long, while Lucy's experience from using her keys during a fight gave her an advantage at picking the right key in less than a second. With her perfectly scrumptious body sandwiched between himself and the door, Cobra was able to feel even better the heaving breaths she was taking as her breasts pushed against him. He unconsciously growled and rolled his hips into her, his lust spiking when the bulge in his pants ground against her center.

"Fuck," Lucy moaned against Cobra's kiss-swollen lips, her breath hitching and a jolt of pleasure zipping through her body. She reached blindly behind herself with the key he'd given her to his apartment only a month after they had slept in her bed for the first time, and thanked whatever god was out there that she was able to get it into the lock with little issue. As soon as the tumblers fell into place, she yanked the key out and turned the knob.

He rushed inside, his tongue plunging between her plump lips just as he kicked the door closed and her key ring fell to the ground. He'd never walked through his home as quickly as he did that night while he made a bee line to his bedroom. On the way, the hand that Lucy had used to unlock the door dipped to the buckle on her belt, and he felt the slight shift and tug of material before that article of clothing disappeared in the hallway. He could have teleported to the bed, and it still wouldn't have been fast enough. He desperately needed to feel her against him, more than she already was, and the nearly two years of being able to do nothing more than kiss or hug Lucy when he was starving for more mounted until his legs finally touched the edge of the mattress.

Lucy gasped and let out a throaty laugh when Cobra roughly threw her onto the bed, her slender body bouncing and her hair fanning out around her. She smiled up at him as he quickly crawled over her, his hips settling between her already parted legs. "I love you, Sugar," she whispered, causing him to groan and dive back down. Instead of going for her lips, however, Cobra's pointed canines scraped lightly across her jaw while he propped himself on his elbows. There was hardly any space between them, but Lucy gasped nonetheless when one of his hands moved over her slender waist and gently cupped her breast.

Why he had never really forced himself to move past his fear of being touched before today was beyond him when he finally felt her in his hand. His thumb brushed across her nipple, and he smirked as her back arched and the hidden bud puckered at his attention. Having her chest pressed to his was nothing in comparison. Until that point, he'd only known how her breasts felt if they lightly grazed his chest while she shifted in his arms, how they rested on his forearm while he held her from behind. Like this, he could squeeze and manipulate the large mound, pinch her nipple through her shirt and the thin lace bra she was wearing. His mind was assaulted by not only his own thoughts and the hazy fog of lust, but also with her. The way she moaned just from this simple touch only made him want more. Her soul echoed that own sentiment and seemed to take solid form by sending a shiver down his spine. And then there was what she was silently telling him.

_"Only what you can handle, Sugar. Don't push yourself too hard."_

Cobra hated that he needed to hear her say it. His anxiety had stopped him just before this point once. His hand had slid up her stomach slowly while they were watching a movie, and he'd heard the excitement rolling through her that he was willing to try more contact. And just when his thumb had brushed across the underside of her breast, he froze. Yes, he knew it was ridiculous to be afraid of touching his girlfriend when she was so willing to let him, but he just couldn't help it. Hearing that silent support from Lucy always put him at ease, because it reminded him time and again that this was in his hands, that he was the one controlling what they did.

" _Mmm_ , Erik," Lucy moaned with a soft smile on her face, gasping and arching her back when he groaned and brought his other hand to her chest. Every movement of his hands on her, the way his lips and tongue and teeth teased every sensitive spot on her neck, was sending a wildfire rushing through her veins. No matter how little stock she had put into having a physical aspect in their relationship, how much she loved that she and Cobra were closer because of it, feeling his hands and mouth on her was something she subconsciously had ached for based on how intensely her body was responding to him. She knew he wanted her to keep touching him, but she also wanted to make sure he didn't get overwhelmed.

"I'm fine." Cobra rocked his hips forward and he groaned softly when she rolled her hips in return. His mouth shot up to cover hers as he started slowly grinding against her. His heart was beating double-time already, but he wasn't sure if it was from excitement or from that incessant fear trying to consume him again. He wanted her so badly, so fiercely that she had been plaguing his dreams nearly every night since they'd gotten together, and now he was finally going to push past his bullshit and give both of them what they wanted. "God, Lucy... I've never been more fine in my life..."

Lucy's eyes rolled back when his hand slid down her side and pushed her hips more insistently against him. Moisture collected between her legs, soaking the flimsy lace barrier that Cobra was grinding against. The room was stifling, her already skimpy clothing feeling more and more constricting as they moaned and panted heavily. That coil deep in her belly had started winding itself at a meandering pace, almost as though it was a sentient being that wanted to make sure it was rounded over itself just right. She didn't want to push him to far, but her body was practically weeping at the thought of not going just a little faster. It was a greedy little shit when it came to him, not that she could really complain.

Cobra was finding out extremely quickly just how sexy Lucy could be with the way she moved beneath him, and how her soul begged him for more. Her hands had stayed down on the bed since he'd thrown her onto it, and he could see that was the only place she held onto her control when her knuckles started paling. "Touch me," he whispered softly as he grabbed her hands and slowed his hips, "Here..."

Lucy's eyes widened when he placed her hands on his chest, then pressed them tightly to him. She watched as he paused and grit his teeth before bringing his lips to hers. She hesitantly flexed her fingers, but when she felt a shudder run through him she stopped. "Erik—" she mumbled against his lips.

Cobra quickly whispered, "I'm good. Don't stop," before trying to breathe as deeply as he could. It was coming back. Every time he thought he'd be able to keep going, it would happen. His breathing would get shallower and shallower, his heart would start pounding, he'd shake uncontrollably and a cold sweat would trickle down his spine—instantly killing any heat that had miraculously gotten the chance to grow between himself and Lucy. He wasn't willing to give up so easily this time, so he slanted his mouth over hers and forced his still straining arousal against her sex with more force than he'd used before.

_"Sugar, it's okay..."_

_"I said I'm fine..."_  He growled and nipped at her lip, his breath stuttering when she slowly moved her hands across his collarbones to his shoulders. Part of him—the normal part that thought he was being a little bitch about the gorgeous blonde touching him—was screaming to tell her to move her hands lower, to dip under his shirt so she could finally feel the skin across his chest, to go even further south and ease the ache in his shaft. The rest of him? Not so much. It was pleading with her to stop and leave him alone, to not hurt him.

The kisses became shorter, less heated and more urgent, and Lucy frowned when she placed a hand over his heart only to feel it racing a mile a minute. It was pounding wildly in his chest, thumping against his ribs so hard that it seemed like they would crack under the pressure. "Erik... Stop..." she said between kisses as the fire inside of her was doused with the frigid waters of concern.

Cobra heard it all, but he wasn't willing to give up. Not yet. He had kept both of them from experiencing this, and he wanted to prove that he could do it. He  _needed_  to. His hand shot down to the hem of her shirt, trembling fingers pulling the fabric away from her silky skin, and he slowly pushed it higher. He could do this much. He could touch her stomach, and circle her navel with just his thumb. He had to believe he could handle it, because if he couldn't... Then what fucking good  _was_  he?

He had been worth nothing more than the miniscule strength he'd had when he was a malnourished slave, and those bastards in the Tower had beaten and whipped him for no reason whatsoever. He wasn't worth anything to Brain aside from the prayer that kept Zero locked away. Locked in prison, he was just another criminal that they usually 'forgot' was there. He hadn't done anything wrong to begin with aside from existing, and then he did everything wrong because he had no other option. And now... When all he wanted was to please the one person that cared about him no matter what... Cobra growled and pushed Lucy's shirt up faster, and then it happened. His knuckles brushed against that perfectly taut stomach, that smooth and decadent vanilla-scented skin that he had longed to feel. And he froze.

Lucy's eyes shot open when Cobra went eerily still above her. When she saw the look of terror in his eye, felt him beginning to tremble, and heard a whimper crawl up his constricted throat, she pulled her hands back to herself as quickly as possible, then pulled her shirt down and wriggled out from beneath him. She scrambled off of the bed to put more distance between them, even though all she wanted to do was hold him until he was okay. He couldn't handle her being near him during a panic attack, because it only made it worse.

Cobra had said before that he wanted her to hold him more than anything so he could feel safe when this happened, but... The one time she had tried at his request beforehand—when he'd asked her to try holding him whenever it happened again—he had ended up attacking her because part of him thought she was trying to hurt him. Cobra had felt like shit afterwards, and even went as far as saying they shouldn't be together if he couldn't control himself enough not to hit her—that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hurt her more than the bruised rib and split lip she had been sporting afterwards the next time around. He had tried to leave her countless times because of his anxiety, but Lucy refused to give up on him. She knew what he needed was time and support, and he wouldn't get that if he pushed her away like he did with everyone else.

Cobra couldn't breathe. He'd done such a small thing, something that he'd been dreaming about for so long, but he couldn't handle it. Once her skin met with his, he was assaulted with image after image of what had happened to him and others in the Tower. He tried to pull in more air, tried with everything he was worth because he knew that deep breathing would help him—even if only a little. His chest was aching where his heart was trying to break free, banging against his ribs like a rabid animal just waiting to be released so it could rip its captors' faces off. His hands gripped the sheets to try and steady himself when a bout of dizziness washed over him, and that alone made his tremors turn into full-body spasms that rolled from his head to his toes and back up. His arms finally gave out and he collapsed on the bed, forcing all of the air that he'd pulled into his lungs out in a quick burst. His hands balled into tight fists as he rolled onto his side and pulled his knees to his chest. How many times had this been the position he'd been forced to sleep in because there was only so much room in the cells for the hundreds of slaves in the Tower? How many times had he been curled into a ball to try and minimize the damage he'd take from those whips, only for someone to kick him until he couldn't move? Every time in his life that someone had touched him, it had never been out of love. He was a means to an end, a tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

Lucy knelt on the floor next to the bed, watching and waiting for Cobra to relax. There wasn't much she could do in this instance. If it was anyone else having a panic attack, she could hold them and soothe their fears. She couldn't do that for Cobra because that was what  _caused_  the attack in the first place. "Deep breaths, remember?" she whispered as he continued panting, his one eye clenched shut and his whole body quivering. "Open your eye and breathe with me."

Cobra slowly opened his eye and looked sadly into the caring gaze of his girlfriend. How he'd managed to get her to go out with a fuck-up like himself in the first place was something he still didn't have an answer to. He saw her soft smile, holding not a hint of pity in it; heard her soul humming the sweet melody of calm that he needed to hear right then.

"In through your nose," she said soothingly, taking a deep breath into her sinuses and watching as Cobra tried to mimic her. "Out through your mouth." She breathed out softly, the gentle smile never leaving her face. "Keep going…"

One by one, the most debilitating parts of his anxiety faded off into that dark well he tried so hard to keep them locked in. Still, he forced himself to keep breathing when her hands carefully laid on top of the comforter at the very edge of the bed. He knew what was coming, and he wanted it to be different this time. He wasn't planning on pushing himself too far so soon after an attack, but he wanted to just give it a shot so he didn't feel like a total failure.

Lucy's smile softened when the tensed muscles she could barely make out through Cobra's clothing finally relaxed. She slid her hands slowly across the bed until they were only a foot away from his own, then turned her palms toward the ceiling and silently asked, " _Are you okay to hold my hands?"_  It never worked before—with Cobra instantly and vehemently shaking his head and turning away from her in embarrassment—but Lucy tried nonetheless on the off-chance that he was ready to do it.

Instead of doing what Lucy expected him to do, Cobra slowly unclenched his fists and kept his eye locked onto hers while carefully settling his still-trembling hands in hers. The smile she gave him, the one filled with happiness and pride, always made his heart just melt into a sappy little love puddle.  _"C'mere, Bright Eyes. Lemme hold you?"_  He felt uncertain about the whole thing, still wracked with small spasms as his body tried to stop the overproduction of adrenaline coursing through him, but he wanted to hold her so goddamn badly. Just the same way he held her every time they were together. Nothing different than what he knew he could take normally.

Lucy slowly nodded and crawled onto the bed while Cobra stretched his legs out. She made her way closer and closer and was about to turn to face her back to him when she heard him again.

" _Face me? I wanna be able to kiss you."_

"Sure, Erik," Lucy giggled softly. She inched closer while laying herself down next to him, keeping at least six inches of space between them. "Bring me closer when you're ready, okay?" she whispered as one of his hands let go of hers to tenderly drape his forearm over her shoulder. Almost immediately, Lucy was crushed to his chest, both hands clasping one of his and pinned between them.

"I'm sorry, y'know…" Cobra whispered against her golden tresses. "I hate that I'm like this…" He took another deep breath, just letting the vanilla scent that surrounded him fill his lungs while he waited for the last of his tremors to stop.

"It's alright. There's no need to apologize for something that you didn't have any control over to begin with." Lucy sighed, already knowing that Cobra didn't see it that way. He blamed himself for not being able to move on from what happened, and thought that his phobia and panic attacks made him weaker, less of the man he should be. All of the cockiness that everyone else saw from him on a daily basis was to keep them at a distance—literally. "Someday, Sugar."

Cobra closed his eye and shook his head. "I wanted it to be today… Not some fucking day in the future," he admitted, tightening his grip on her only slightly. "You do so much for me… I just wanted to give you something in return…"

Lucy frowned and turned to look up at him. "I've told you. Being with you is enough. Sex isn't—"

Cobra lifted his hand from her shoulder and cupped her cheek gently; although, his hand was still shaking like a leaf. "Lucy… You and I both want it. I can hear just how badly you do, and it's the same for me. I'm the one that's holding that up… I can't even touch you without having a fucking panic attack…" Cobra paused and sighed when he heard Lucy getting ready to try and make him feel better. "If I can't touch you, and you're the only one I've ever fallen for… What makes you think I'd be willing to fuck someone else?"

Lucy was taken aback for a moment, wondering how her train of thought had made him jump to having sex with other people.

"I know I shouldn't be afraid of  _you_  of all people, because I do trust you not to hurt me when you touch me. I just…" He paused and sighed heavily before nestling his nose in her hair again. "I want this, and my past is fucking it all up. You're the only person that knows what my hands feel like, the only one I've ever held in my arms, and the only one I've kissed. I want you to be the one that knows every part of me. That's what I wanted to give you, what I  _still_  want to give you."

Lucy's eyes went wide when she realized just what he was telling her, and she felt pretty damn stupid for not having put the pieces together sooner. Cobra could hardly handle being touched through his clothing without panicking, and the only skin of his she had ever felt was his hands, neck, or face. There was one time that his sleeve had ridden up a few inches and she had accidentally brushed against his wrist with her arm. That had resulted in him pushing her away from himself, holding his wrist as though she had burned him, and then nearly passing out from hyperventilating. "Erik..." she whispered tenderly, lightly squeezing the hand she held.

"Yeah, not exactly something I'm proud to admit..." Cobra pulled his hand from hers and slid his arm under her, pulling her as close as possible. "I know, you always figured I'd had sex because of how we can talk about it, and how I know how to kiss or touch you just right to make your knees weak. But the only reason I know anything is because I can hear everyone around me, and I can hear just what you like... Especially since at first you tended to compare what we did to your ex."

Lucy froze and gaped at him. "I never compared you to Gajeel, Sugar."

"Not intentionally, but it happened. I don't blame you for it... If anything, it just made me more determined to make you forget about him." Cobra smiled sadly and nuzzled her hair.

"Erik, I love  _you_. Not him. If I did love him, then I'd still be with him."

"True. And I'm not saying you don't love me. I'm just saying there's something he was able to do with you that I can't, no matter how much I fucking want to..."

"What, sex?" When Cobra simply nodded, Lucy frowned and shook her head. "If you know that he and I had sex, then you also know why we broke up."

"Because he wanted to tie your ass up and spank the shit out of you... Among other things. I know. He actually still thinks about it sometimes." Cobra took a deep, calming breath and gently took one of Lucy's hands, then carefully pulled it up so she was able to touch his neck and jaw. As soon he felt the calluses from years of using her whip in battle brushing over his skin, he felt himself relax just a little. He always loved how she touched him, how gentle she could be, and how much he could feel her love for him in just a simple touch. That was what always made it so fucking hard to understand why he would freak out if she touched him anywhere else when he wanted to let her. The bare skin on his wrists and back, he could understand not wanting her to even see—since those pieces of himself were covered in scars from when he was still a slave, along with one from Brain on his shoulder from Nirvana. "Bright Eyes, I want you so goddamn badly. I trust you, and it shouldn't even be an issue for you to touch me. I  _know_  you won't hurt me… I know that…"

"Do you think it was worse this time because I was already touching somewhere new when your hand touched my stomach?" Lucy whispered as she lightly traced the line of his jaw, tilting her head up again to look into his deep purple eye. "How about we test it out? We'll take it slowly..." Lucy paused and grinned when an idea popped into her head, taking root in a way that meant she wouldn't give up until it was done.

Cobra's jaw dropped when he heard it. "No... Definitely fucking not. You're fucking high if you think—oh, for fuck's sake, Lucy... Don't gimme that look..." He groaned and shut his eye so he couldn't see her pouty lips that always broke his resolve, but he could still hear her...

_"Come on, Erik. You know I'll take care of you, and I won't push you too far. If this works, then you'll be able to touch me."_

Cobra shuddered when the hand on his face moved until her thumb brushed over his lips, and he slowly opened his eye to look down at the devious little blonde minx. "When the hell did you learn how to make your soul sound like that?" he whispered, shivering again as her soul's normal hum slowed down and dropped in pitch. It almost sounded like he was underwater with wave after wave washing over him, but there was something different about it. Something sensual and more alluring than he had ever known was possible from Lucy.

"I'm not doing anything," Lucy answered honestly. "We'll just try it. If it's too much, then we'll stop and I won't push you, okay?" Her fingers lightly danced up his cheek, already knowing that she had permission to touch his face and hair because of where he had put her hand to begin with.

"Fuck," Cobra gasped, taking a shaky breath as her soul pulsed in a way that made him forget all about her fingers moving over him. If he could, he would capture this sound and listen to it for the rest of his life, just so he could bask in the way it got his blood boiling. "Shit, Lucy... God, what are you doing?"

Lucy's fingers moved up the bridge of his nose, across his forehead, and then delved into the thick maroon locks that had always surprised her with just how soft they were. "I'm just touching your face, Sugar. Nothing more."

Cobra nibbled on his lower lip, completely unaware of the fact that his hands had been slowly massaging Lucy's back as they moved lower and lower. He unconsciously palmed her ass as his eye closed again. Lightning crashed through the waves in her soul, causing light to flash behind his closed lid as thunder rumbled softly in the distance. A soft moan filtered into his hearing, but it was drowned out in an instant. More lightning, more thunder. Those waves intensified, drawing a low growl from him that echoed in her soul. "H-How... Shit, how..." he rasped. "You sound... So... Fuck, Lucy..."

Lucy gasped and threw her head back when Cobra's hands pushed her skirt up and started massaging her rounded cheeks, the tips of his fingers slowly moving between her legs and closer to her core. She had no clue what had come over Cobra, but could only guess that it was something about him being able to hear her soul. She had only been lightly caressing his face, then massaging his scalp and playing with his hair like she had done countless times before. His breathing had changed slightly, but it wasn't panicked in the slightest; it was heavy and shuddering, dripping with lust, and hers was beginning to match it while he stoked the flames of passion in her higher and higher with each ticking second.

Cobra felt heat wafting off of her soul, heard the crackling of a fire burning in the distance. When he opened his mouth to speak, he could practically taste the water and lightning and fire that he heard, and it took his breath away. "L-Lucy... It sounds... God, don't stop doing it..." he groaned, then felt her lips pressing against his. He paused for only a moment, not knowing if she had kissed him or the other way around. The waves intensified, churning and spiralling around him while several crashes of lightning streaked out and sent a violent rumble through her soul.

Lucy moaned and pushed into his mouth once his fingers lightly brushed over her drenched panties. Her leg automatically lifted and draped over his as he pulled her closer, and Lucy's breath stalled in her throat when his finger very intentionally pushed against the fabric covering her core. Her hips rolled, urging him to keep going as a soft mewl of pleasure crawled up her throat. Closer and closer, that single digit slid in slow motion until he was pressing against her clit. Lucy's eyes went wide as a jolt of pure pleasure zipped from her sex out to her fingertips and toes, and she ripped her mouth away from his to cry out when he started circling slowly. "Oh, god… Erik!"

Cobra's eye opened when he heard her voice, pulling him away from that odd symphony her soul had wrapped him in. He stilled and looked down at her face in confusion, seeing a light blush on her cheeks, half-lidded eyes darkened to a deep mocha looking up at him, and just how heavily she was breathing. When he went to pull away to see what was going on, that was when he realized where his hands were. "Shit!" He pulled them away as though the tempting lace between her legs was going to eat him alive, wondering how he'd gotten so far in touching her without freaking out as he moved to the other side of the bed and wrapped his arms around himself.  _'Her soul,'_  he thought.  _'That's… That's what it sounds like when… Holy fuck...'_

The crashing waves, the thunder and lightning, the fire… it all made sense to him now. The waves were her lust and desire; the lightning was her pleasure, and the thunder was what rolled through her every time he did something she liked; the fire that crackled in the distance was that metaphorical fire that flared in her veins while she started climbing towards her release. He had done that to her…  _He_  had been the reason for it all. It had been a long time since he'd listened to someone's soul and gotten a damn metaphor as a result, since usually it was words and phrases, very clear emotions, or a fast narration of memories. Now that he thought about it, Lucy's soul had never been like that; hers vibrated, hummed, and sang wordlessly, but there was never a single word to be heard from her soul. She was raw sensation, where everyone else he'd encountered was lucky to have such intense clarity inside of themselves.

To say Lucy was disappointed was an understatement where her libido was concerned. Cobra was working all kinds of magic on her core with his fingers, not only teasing her clit but circling her entrance through her panties. She wasn't upset with him in the slightest for stopping, since she understood why he pulled away, but she didn't understand why he'd been fine one second and then freaking out the next.

"Your soul," Cobra whispered in response to Lucy's inner monologue. "It distracted me… A  _lot._ " He grimaced when Lucy nodded with a sweet smile, turning his head away from her. "Sorry… I know you wanted me to keep going…"

"It's okay," Lucy said softly as she adjusted her clothes and sat up on the bed. She leaned down and finally removed her boots, setting them on the floor at the foot of the bed, then she slowly stood up and walked into his closet.

"I told you, we're not—" Cobra tried to say as he sat up in the bed, only to gape when Lucy came out with quite literally nothing on except for a thin scarf that she'd forgotten at his apartment a few months prior held in her hands. His eye raked over her from head to toe and back. He'd seen her in a bikini at the guild and the beach who knows how many times, but without those little triangles of material covering her… He drank in the sight of her full breasts, the little pink buds that had peaked under the cooler air in the room. His gaze trailed slowly down to her mouth-watering waist and hips, then honed in on the apex of her thighs. She was completely bare, not a single hair to be seen. He noticed the small tremble in her legs as she fought to not hide herself from him, and his gazed moved back up her body just as slowly to see a deep flush across her cheeks. "Y-Youre… Fuck, you're beautiful…" he whispered breathlessly.

Lucy's blush deepened, and she ducked her head bashfully. This had been her idea to begin with, but it didn't make it any less embarrassing to let him see every inch of her on display. Up close, in the heat of the moment, sure. That was normal, and what she was used to. Not just walking out of a closet like an exhibitionist ready to flaunt her nakedness. Still, she had a plan… And it wouldn't work if she had her clothes on. "I-I'll be right back," she stuttered uncharacteristically, placing the scarf on the foot of the bed and walking out of the room.

Cobra was only able to blink once she had left the room. Seeing Lucy like that, after two years of being together and only fantasizing about what she looked like naked, had his mind drawing a blank. She was even more perfect in real life than anything he'd imagined. His eye was immediately drawn to the doorway when she came back in with a roll of duct tape. He couldn't move from where he was sitting, and just watched as she came back over to the bed and knelt only a few inches in front of him. He took in all of her again, and felt himself getting painfully hard at the sight of how demure she was—her hands clasped together in her lap, the blush on her cheeks, and how she was nervously nibbling on her lip.

Lucy took a deep breath, then smiled at Cobra when he looked at her face again. She hadn't expected such a flattering reaction from him, but that was probably due to the fact that no one had ever reacted that way when they saw her naked.

"They were fucking idiots," Cobra breathed. "Damn, I'm lucky as hell…"

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes, feeling more at ease as he started sounding more like himself. She turned and grabbed the scarf, then dropped it on his lap and lifted her hands into the air with her wrists pressed together. "Tie me up, Erik," she said softly.

"I still don't understand how this is supposed to help…"

"Because you're fear is based on being hurt if I touch you, or if you touch me. So, tying my hands together will make it so I can't hurt you, even if I wanted to," Lucy said patiently.

Cobra looked down at the scarf in his lap, then lifted his hand and lightly ran it over the silky material. "I-I can't…" he whispered, sighing in defeat and tossing the scarf back to her. "I might touch you and—"

"Erik, you've touched my arms before."

"Yeah, but that's different…" It wasn't entirely true. He didn't really have an issue with touching her arms, and the thought of it wasn't what was making him uncomfortable. It was something else entirely, but he didn't want Lucy to know about it. She had probably already guessed, but… He just couldn't do this. It was too much.

Lucy frowned, seeing a slight tremble starting in his shoulders. "How is it different?" she asked carefully. "You don't usually have any issues with my arms or my hands when you're touching them, so—"

"I can't tie you up, Lucy!" He growled in frustration, running a shaky hand over his face before glaring at the bedspread. "This is fucking stupid. Go put your clothes on… You… You should probably just head home…"

"Why is it stupid to want to help you?" she asked. She knew the look in his eye the moment it appeared, because it showed up every time he had tried to push her away. Once they had gotten to know each other, Cobra didn't try to hide his emotions from her. He was still a cocky asshole from time to time out of habit, but she always saw through it. "Help me understand, Erik. I can't hear you like you can with me."

"This," he sneered, gesturing to the scarf in her lap. "I just can't…"

"Why?" she pressed, leaning forward slightly before catching herself and moving back to her original position when he flinched. "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm not gonna touch you unless you want me to, Sugar. Just tell me why you—"

Cobra growled again and spat, "You wanna know why I can't tie you up?!" He roughly pulled up the sleeve of his jacket and shirt, then thrust his hand forward so his wrist was in her line of sight. He ignored the scars wrapped around his wrist and watched her eyes widen as she took in the sick, deformed skin that was a few shades paler than the rest of his arm. " _That's_  why. I spent years in shackles that they never took off of me… Even when they were too tight because I'd grown out of the size they were set to. I bled for  _weeks_ because my wrists never got to heal. And when Brain picked me and the others out? He took them off of everyone  _except me._  I was being punished for sneaking Cubellios out of the Tower with me, and he only took them off when she kept growing because he figured she was useful. If I pissed him off, they'd go right back on… the same ones I'd worn when I was a fucking kid! I almost died when I got an infection in my wrists, and instead of treating it… He made me get that fucking lacrima put in me so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. So no. I'm not gonna tie up my goddamn  _girlfriend_  just to try and touch you because I'm too fucked up to do it otherwise." He could feel himself shaking while she looked at his wrist, and he couldn't bear to even look at her or listen to what was going on in her head.

Lucy watched as Cobra closed his eye tightly, but didn't drop his arm. Instead, it stayed right in front of her face, his whole body quivering while he closed himself off from her. "Erik, put your arm down," she said gently. When he didn't move, she looked back down at his wrist and frowned. It was no secret that he'd been forced to endure far too much when he was a slave, but they never talked about it. While she was curious to know what had made him so afraid of physical contact, and consequently why he always wore long sleeve shirts, she never directly asked him. He'd heard her mulling it over one night, and asked if she wanted to know, but she told him that he could tell her only if he wanted to. Cobra changed the subject, and she never tried to redirect it back to that. "Erik, put your arm down..."

He dropped his arm and quickly covered his wrist, then flinched when he felt the tips of Lucy's fingers brushing over his knuckles. "I can't do it..." he whispered.

"Okay, I won't make you do anything you don't want to..." Lucy paused and sighed softly as she slowly laced her fingers with his. "If my hands were already tied up, would you be willing to try? Without you being the one to do it..."

His eye shot open and he stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "How the fuck are you—"

"Just yes or no. Would you give it a shot?" Lucy asked with an encouraging smile, lightly squeezing his hand to reassure him. When he looked away and slowly nodded, she said, "Okay, then we can do this one of two ways. I can do it myself, or I can call Virgo to do it for me."

"You know, I still think it's weird as hell that she asks you for punishment..." Cobra grumbled, smirking at Lucy when she giggled. "Do it yourself if you can manage... I don't think I can handle seeing shackles right now..."

Lucy's eyes widened as she smacked herself in the forehead. "I didn't think about that... Okay, gimme a minute."

Cobra looked on in amusement and a small amount of pride as he listened to her mind working overtime to figure out just how she would go about doing it. It took her all of thirty seconds to decide how to bind her hands together, and all he could do was sit back while she looped one end and made a slip knot, then repeated on the other end. Lucy carefully pulled the looped ends of the scarf over her hands and tightened it once the fabric was covering her wrists. "Now what?" he teased, his smirk widening when she stuck her tongue out at him.

Lucy rolled her eyes, then wrapped the scarf over the knots on each wrist twice. There was still a good portion of the silk left between her wrists, so she folded it in half and tucked the looped material under one of the knots and pulled it taut so her wrists were pressed together. She crossed the silk over itself and wrapped it around her wrists once, then used all of the dexterity she could muster to push the excess material under the knot on the opposite wrist.

Cobra gulped when Lucy brought her wrists to her mouth, using her teeth to pull the loop through and wrap the last bit around her bound wrists. She grinned triumphantly at the scarf-turned-rope before turning that brilliant smile to him. "Remind me to see what else that mouth of yours can do," he mumbled.

"No need to remind you, Erik," Lucy shot back. "Once I've got permission to touch you anywhere, that's the first place my mouth is going."

"Son of a bitch, Lucy..." Cobra was instantly filled with excitement, desire, anticipation, and the smallest bit of fear at the thought of her face in his lap. He took a deep breath, then said, "Okay, now what?"

She smiled as she lifted her bound hands into the air and held them just above his upturned palms. "You'll hold my hands, or the scarf. If you start to think I'll hurt you, then you can pull them away until you're comfortable again. You're stronger than me anyway, so if I tried to attack you, then you'd be able to overpower me even without my hands being tied up… But, this should help you subconsciously see me as less threatening."

Cobra slowly nodded. "I guess that makes sense… But, you don't like being tied up. That's what made you break it off with Metal Face, remember?"

Lucy sighed as he lightly ran his fingers over the silk around her wrists, then slid one finger under it on each wrist to make sure it wasn't too tight. "This is different. He was doing it because it turned him on to see me like that, especially since I didn't like it. I'm doing this for  _you_  so that you can maybe relax a little bit. You don't want me to be tied up, so it's okay."

"That's probably the most circuitous logic you've ever pulled out of your ass..." Cobra chuckled softly when Lucy gave him a cheeky grin. "So, basically... You're okay with being tied up because I'm not asking you to do it?"

"Also, because you're not asking me to dance in a bunny costume before pulling me over you knee and taking a paddle to my ass," Lucy deadpanned. "More power to him for finding out that Flare's into that... Those two are oddly good together."

"That's because she's only half there," Cobra retorted. "No, seriously... Half of the time, she's got normal ass thoughts; otherwise, it's just dead air... That shit is creepy as fuck..."

Lucy let out a peal of laughter, then blushed when she saw Cobra very openly watching her chest bounce. "Do you want to touch me first, or do you want me to touch you?"

"Uhh... What?" he asked absently.

Lucy laughed again and rolled her eyes. "Eyes are up here, perv," she teased, playfully sticking out her tongue when he glared at her.

"So sorry," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I can't help but stare at my girlfriend's perfect fucking tits when I've been dreaming about this shit for two years." He opened his mouth to continue, then blanched at Lucy's train of thought. "Okay, yeah... I won't be saying 'tits' and 'shit' in the same sentence ever again... God, you've dated some fucking freaks..."

Lucy simply shrugged. "Are you touching me, or am I touching you?"

"Why are you naked for this?" Cobra raised a suspicious eyebrow when a seductive smile spread across Lucy's face.

"Because... You're allowed to touch me anywhere you want. You have issues with skin-to-skin contact when you touch me, so that's what you get to work on... Should you decide to do anything else..." She let the unspoken statement hang in the air, but she knew that Cobra heard just what she was thinking.

"A-And... My clothes...?" he rasped as he took another long look at all of her exposed skin. If he could get past his issue with touching any of her skin that wasn't her arms or from the neck up, he'd most  _definitely_  be taking her up on the offer to have his face between her legs.

"Can stay on, unless  _you_  want them off for me to touch your skin. That's up to you, but you already know I'd prefer they were long gone... I wanna see just how sexy you are without a stitch of clothing on."

Cobra's mouth dropped open to dissuade her curiosity, until he saw the hungry look in her eyes as she mentally undressed him. Still... "I don't think you want me to do that, Lucy..."

"Oh, I know I do..." Lucy looked back up at the closed off expression on his face, then sighed and squeezed his hands. "Erik, I don't care how many scars you have from back then. You could be covered head to toe, and I'd still think you're sexy as hell."

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it," he grumbled, turning to look back at her when she squeezed his hands again. "You saw my wrists, the others aren't much better..."

"If you don't believe me, then take everything off right now and I'll prove it to you." Lucy winked and licked her lips, then grinned when Cobra rolled his eye at her. "Like I said, it's your choice. You started getting uncomfortable when I was touching your chest over your shirt, so we can just work on that if you'd like."

"You wanna know where they are," he said with a sigh. It wasn't a question. Lucy was wondering if he'd been so uncomfortable because she'd been touching any scars. He really shouldn't have been surprised that she would consider that as a possibility, but she always had a way of catching him off guard.

"You don't have to tell me if—"

"I know. You'll find out eventually though…" Cobra sighed again and let go of her hands, then took a deep breath while he took off his jacket. "If you wanna help me, then I should probably get used to you seeing me like this anyway…"

"That's true, but… Erik, I don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with," Lucy whispered earnestly, furrowing her brow in concern. "We can do that another time if you'd like."

Cobra quickly shook his head and reached down to take off his shoes, since he'd been a little preoccupied when they'd gotten to his place. He tossed everything on the floor, then stood up and turned away from her. "Just… Just try not to freak out too much, okay?" he asked uncertainly over his shoulder.

"You're not gonna freak me out, but okay…" Lucy said softly.

Cobra took a shuddering breath as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, debating whether he should take it off slowly to give Lucy a chance to back out when the first of his scars were visible, or if he should just do it like a bandaid and pull that shit off and deal with the pain afterwards. Finally, he decided to just make it quick. The shirt was on the floor not a moment later, and Cobra was left holding his breath and clenching his fists while he let Lucy look at him. It hadn't been an issue for any of the other members of the Oracion Seis to see him without a shirt on at any point, since they all had come from the same place. Each of them had their own scars, and weren't surprised to see a multitude on each other from repeated lashings. His were, by far, the worst out of all of them simply because of the ones on his wrists. Sorano only had a thin white line where her shackles had been. Midnight and Sawyer both had gotten a little more chafed by the metal, but not much. Richard didn't have any scars whatsoever that could be seen with the changes in his appearance. No, Cobra had gotten the short end of the stick where that was concerned.

"Erik, you can turn around now. It's okay," Lucy said gently, wiping away the tears that had gathered in her eyes before he could see them and think she was pitying him. Dozens upon dozens of scars crossed over one another from what she could easily tell was a whip, running the entire length of his back. There were hardly any normal portions of skin left on his back, and she could see that one of the few spots that should have been untainted was on his shoulder.  _'That must be where Brain shot him...'_  She remembered Natsu telling her about it after the Nirvana incident—how Cobra had jumped back up and wanted to keep fighting only for Brain to show up and shoot him in the back...

Cobra frowned when he smelled her tears, then very intently listened in to see what was going on. He never realized just how much she and Natsu shared before, but the fact that the Fire Slayer had even mentioned what Brain did to him was surprising. He kept listening while she looked at him, his fisted hands relaxing as he fell into a state of shock at what he found out.

' _If that had really been Jellal doing all of that, I'd find him and beat his ass right_ _ **now**_ _for making so many people suffer…'_

They hadn't known Jellal was possessed or being controlled or whatever the story was. Cobra still didn't believe it to be true.

' _How could anyone do this to a_ _ **child**_ _?!'_

That was a question he asked himself every day he looked in the mirror... When he saw the proof of just how wrong his life had gone before he was let out of prison and joined Fairy Tail.

' _No wonder he can't stand me touching him. I'd be terrified of someone hurting me too if I'd gone through that…'_

Always the understanding woman. Cobra had admired her ability to put herself in someone else's shoes to see things from their perspective since he met her. No matter how many times she said that she understood him not being able to touch her from the little bits and pieces he had told her about his past, this was the first time she was seeing what was left in its wake… And she still understood it just as well as she had before. There was no revelation whatsoever, no shock. Just an image to put to what she'd experienced in trying to help him move past his fear.

' _Sixty-five, sixty-six, sixty-seven… How did he survive this?... Sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy...'_

Even he wasn't sure how he'd managed to survive the Tower. He probably wouldn't have if Brain hadn't chosen him. He never tried to keep track of how many times he'd been whipped, but hearing her at such a high number made him cringe.

' _Erik… You're stronger than you know for never giving up...'_

His eye went wide at just how much love he felt in those words. She admired his strength, when at the time he hadn't had any. His conviction, when all he had wanted to do was die and his body wouldn't just give up. The little boy he had been did give up, and Cobra was born from the shell that was left behind. Lucy was the one that brought who he once was back from the dead. Sure, he'd made changes and amends in any way he could, but he was still Cobra. That was the person everyone saw, except for Lucy. Not even Kinana saw what he was really like, because she didn't remember them meeting in the Tower, or the years of loneliness her presence kept at bay. He had told Kinana his real name because he hoped she would remember Erik, and help him find the boy he'd once been. He told Lucy his real name because she  _did_  help him find it, then nurtured that side of himself all before she even knew what his real name was.

' _Damn, look at those muscles… I knew he was sexy as hell under all that clothing...'_

That was the one that caught him off-guard the most. Everything else Lucy had thought while looking at him had been expected, even her belief that he was strong for not giving up. He had been expecting horror, shock, outrage, any number of negative thoughts and emotions. But… Leave it to the blonde sitting naked as a jaybird on his bed with her hands tied together to look at all of his scars and think he was still somehow attractive. He slowly turned his head to look at her, and was able to see every emotion sitting openly on her face. There was anger, sadness, pride, and… lust. Whole barrels full of it from what he could tell. Her eyes rose to meet his, and he watched as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm surprised you haven't run out yet," he said as he turned his head away from her again.

"Couple reasons for that, actually," Lucy answered with a sweet smile. "One, I'm naked and tied up. Pretty sure we don't need your neighbors seeing  _that_  running out of your house at night."

"Touchè…"

"And two… I wanna see what else I've been missing out on. I don't plan on leaving with only half of the picture."

Cobra looked down at his chest and sighed. There weren't nearly as many scars here as there were on his back, only a couple from when he'd been rolled over in the dirt and whipped when there wasn't anywhere else to hit his back. His fists tightened again as he turned himself to face her completely, and he tried to keep his gaze locked on the ground so he wouldn't have to see the expression on her face. That is, until he heard every bit of air in her lungs rush out as quickly as possible. His head shot up, and he was met with the sight of an extremely turned on Lucy. Her eyes drank in every inch of his exposed flesh while her mouth was hanging open. Her cheeks, chest, and even her ears flushed in a bright red. Her hands tightened into small fists in her lap, and she discreetly rubbed her thighs together while the scent of her arousal started hanging thick in the air.

' _Holy fucking shit balls! I've got the hottest boyfriend_ _ **ever**_ _! God, why can't I have a photographic memory?!'_

Cobra just stared at her. There wasn't a single thought going through her head about the scars on his chest and stomach, or even the ones on his back and wrists now. She knew they were there, but she was apparently too wrapped up in looking at his tanned skin and muscles to pay attention to anything else.

' _Oh man, I just wanna lick every inch of him. Fuck, I'm screwed… How am I supposed to_ _ **not**_ _touch him now that I know just how good he—yep, totally fucked… It's gonna take everything in me not to tackle him and fuck his brains out… Damnit! Why did I have to tell him to take his shirt off when I can't touch him?! God, this is torture… How I'm still sitting in one spot is beyond me… Must… Not… Touch… Maybe I can get him to let me just kiss his chest? No, then I'll want to move lower, and… Wow, it's really hot in here… Now, only his pants and boxers need to get the hell out of my way, and I'll be in heaven… Sexy sexy heaven...'_

He couldn't help but chuckle just a little, a small smirk turning up one corner of his mouth when her eyes slowly moved up from his belt. "Are you alright?" he teased.

"I'm  _more_  than alright, Sugar," Lucy rasped sensually, leaning forward on the bed so she was propped up on her hands and knees. "My only problem is that now I want to touch you even more than before… And say forget about touching me…"

"Well, that's where you're shit outta luck," Cobra answered as he slowly walked back over to the bed. "I'm greedy…"

Lucy giggled at the cheeky, shit-eating grin on his face as he came to stand at the edge of the bed. Her eyes raked over him again, taking in every single rippling muscle on his lean body, every inch of his perfectly tanned skin. Even when looking at his scars, she felt her inner vixen lighting up with glee and ready to pounce on him. She couldn't though. It would defeat the purpose of this whole thing, and letting him take control. "I think you being a little greedy right now is  _perfectly_  fine," she whispered, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. If she closed that last foot of space between them, she would be able to kiss and lick his stomach, then move lower and… Lucy quickly sat back on her heels and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She wanted Cobra more intensely than before now that she'd seen him without a shirt, but he had to be the one that came to her.

Cobra was about to lift his leg to get on the bed when he remembered what Lucy had said. With a wicked grin, hearing just how difficult it was for her to keep her hands to herself—and subsequently getting a boost of confidence that she wasn't repulsed by what she'd seen—he said, "Looks like you're gonna be in heaven, Bright Eyes." When her eyes widened, dropping to his pants for a split second before looking back up at him, he nodded. "You told me to take  _everything_  off if I remember correctly."

Lucy's eyes dropped to his pants again when he reached for his belt, and she quickly said, "Wait…" He paused and gave her a questioning look, and without thinking, she added, "Can I…?"

Cobra wanted to say yes more than anything, but the thought of her hands accidentally brushing against his bare stomach had that answer stalling in his throat. "U-Ummm…"

"You can say no," Lucy said quickly. "I just wanted to uh… try? We can see if you're okay with it… Just undoing your pants. And… And you can cover your stomach with your hand, just in case."

He nodded slowly and reached his hand out to help Lucy move across the bed, then dipped his fingers just beneath the waistband of his pants and boxers, covering his stomach once she was right in front of him.

"Do you have any other scars?" Lucy asked softly, smiling when he moved the hand that was holding hers to the silk wrapped around her wrists.

"No. Everything's above my belt."

Lucy nodded and said, "Pull my hands up whenever you're ready. Deep breaths, okay?"

Cobra nodded quickly and kept his gaze trained on her. Half of him was insanely aroused by the thought of Lucy slowly undressing him, her face being so close to the part of his anatomy that ached to be inside her. The other half was telling him to run. His grip tightened on the silk and he forced a deep breath in through his nose, then out through his mouth. Slowly, hesitantly, he brought her hands to the buckle on his belt. He watched as she quickly undid it with only a few flicks of her slender fingers, then he pulled her hands away from himself. "Gimme a second," he said quickly as he closed his eye and tried to calm his racing heart.

"Sure, Sugar. Take your time."

After counting to ten and back, Cobra opened his eye and looked back down at her. "You know, this is probably the least sexy thing in all of Earthland, right? Having to stop every few seconds so I can chill the fuck out…"

"Should I make this sexier?" Lucy teased. "I could use my mou—"

"God, please don't," Cobra said quickly, his grip on her wrists tightening as he pulled her hands further from himself. "Fuck… This is ridiculous, Lucy…"

She pursed her lips up at him and shook her head. "It's not ridiculous. This doesn't need be all hot and steamy, Erik. I'm just trying to help you get what you want, and for that to happen…"

"You have to be able to touch me," Cobra finished with a sigh. "I know. Just… Your mouth… While I'd love for you to do it, part of me thinks... You're gonna bite me."

"That's what the tape is for," Lucy giggled. "I figured if someone had tied up my hands, what else could I use to hurt them? The next thing that came to mind was trying to bite them, so I assumed you might end up worrying about that. And voilá! Tape."

Cobra smirked and slowly brought her hands closer, then took a shaky breath when she started to slowly undo the button. "I'm not sure if I should be proud that you can think through scenarios like that and figure out what to do…" he said, trying to just focus on speaking instead of his rising panic when she moved on to the zipper. "Or… Concerned that you think this shit through and I'm gonna wake up bound and gagged just before you throw my ass overboard some ship when I piss you off."

Lucy smiled sweetly up at him. "Erik, I have this uncanny ability to get captured. It's called experience."

"You really fucking do…" He paused and frowned, then said, "Speaking of which… Why would the walking Tin Can wanna tie you up when he's already done it before?"

"Because he said that the first time he was trying to kill me, so he didn't get to enjoy it as much as he would have otherwise," Lucy answered automatically. She kept her head tilted back so she could gauge Cobra's reaction after she finished unzipping his pants. Slowly, she moved her hands up and carefully grasped the fabric and pulled his pants down—making sure not to touch his legs in the process. "When we were dating, he told me about it, and I said I'd try it. Turns out, that hit too close to home since it was  _him_  tying me up again, and I kinda freaked out."

"Freaked out, how?" Cobra asked.

"I started crying and begging him not to kill me," Lucy sighed, her smile staying in place but saddened considerably. "Everything I wanted to say when he was torturing me, but refused to because I wasn't going to let him see how terrified I was. The split was pretty mutual after that. He felt like shit for putting me through that, and I felt like shit for making him feel like I didn't forgive him for what happened." Lucy was just glad that she was able to maintain her odd friendship with Gajeel after they had split up. That was one thing she had always worried about when it came to dating someone in the guild—if things went south, everything in the guild could become extremely awkward. "All done, Erik. Your pants are on the floor."

Cobra frowned and looked down to see that Lucy had, in fact, undone his pants and pushed them down without him even realizing it. He was also holding her hands in place right over the very prominent tent in his boxers, but her hands were closed so he could see she wasn't trying to touch him. "Does this count if I'm distracted while you do it?" he asked.

Lucy sadly shook her head. "No, because then you're ignoring the issue instead of working through it."

"Why is it you know so much about—you read  _how many_  psychology books?!"

Lucy smiled sheepishly and said, "About ten…? Or twenty-three…? I wanted to see what was out there as far as 'normal' treatment options for phobias. Since I'm pretty sure you don't want to be medicated, and you'll beat a doctor within an inch of his life if he tries to make you panic in a controlled environment, I figured I'd do it this way. Get to the point where you start panicking, then hold still and work through what you're thinking and why it's making you panic. Eventually, you'll be fine."

Cobra nodded, then kicked his pants off and watched Lucy moved back to the center of the bed once he let her wrists go. He crawled onto the bed slowly, and whispered, "Lie down, Lucy. I'm gonna start with you, and work my way up."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple important notes: 
> 
> -Panic attacks and anxiety attacks are actually two separate things. Having an anxiety disorder or a phobia can lead to having panic attacks due to increased anxiety, but they happen suddenly and without warning. Anxiety attacks build up until the same symptoms of a panic attack are present. For the purposes of this story, the terms are interchangeable.
> 
> -Deep breathing has only been scientifically proven to work in the event of hyperventilation. While there are plenty of people with anxiety and/or panic disorders that attest to this working for them to also decrease the symptoms of the attack their dealing with, it isn't always the case. Each individual reacts differently to certain stimuli, so deep breathing for one person might work while another needs to have their hair stroked, etc.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Cobra took a deep breath while Lucy did as he asked, carefully laying back on the bed with her head on the pillows and her bound hands resting between her breasts. He glanced at the tape for a moment, then decided he wouldn't need it if she was the one being touched. "Okay,  _Doctor_ Bright Eyes... Any suggestions?" he asked, the slight anxiety making his voice quiver only marginally through his attempt at humor.

"Grab my hands and put them wherever you think would be best, then kiss me. Start with what you're comfortable with, then move on to more." Lucy smiled at him gently as he slowly wrapped his fingers around the silk on her wrists. She nibbled her lower lip excitedly when Cobra took a deep breath and moved so he had one knee between her legs. "Is it okay if my legs touch yours?" she whispered.

"I'm... Not sure..." Cobra said uneasily. Before he could suggest trying to see if he could handle it, Lucy adjusted herself and spread her legs wider while he knelt between them. He couldn't help but look down to see just how gorgeous she was quite literally spread out for him. "Fuck, I can't wait to touch you..." he groaned, slowly moving her hands so they were lightly pinned above her head.

"Right there with you, Erik." Lucy sighed happily and smiled up at the one-eyed man she'd fallen in love with. Even if they didn't have sex that night, she would be happy that he was at least willing to try and work through his fear. It could take time, but she was fine with that. They had gone two years with only the barest of contact, so what was a while longer while they actively worked to help him?

"Fingers crossed it doesn't take too long," Cobra said in answer to her thoughts. He held her hands in one of his own, then lifted the other hand and brought his fingers to her forearm. As he traced a slow path to her shoulder, something he was already comfortable with doing, Cobra said, "I don't wanna be afraid to touch you anymore, Lucy. I want to give you everything you could ever ask for- and what you'd like to ask for but don't realize you want." Cobra grinned down at her when her breathing stuttered, his fingers circling the inside of her elbow.

"Looks like we want the same thing," Lucy whimpered as he reached her shoulder and lightly massaged up to her neck. "Mmm, your fingers feel so good..."

"Shouldn't you be saying that when my hand is between your legs?" Cobra chuckled.

"No, I'll be  _screaming_  it when your hand is between my legs." Lucy gave him an exaggerated wink, and laughed when he smirked down at her. "You're doing great, Sugar. How are you feeling?"

"Horny as hell," he deadpanned. Cobra's hand finally reached her jaw, and his thumb brushed over her cheek tenderly as he lowered his head and brought his lips to hers. He groaned when Lucy whimpered and her tongue instantly flicked out over his lips. He could hear it all- she was starving for more contact. Her soul was utterly ravenous while it begged him to start moving his hand, and after his mouth opened and she dove into his mouth with enough passion to make him breathless, Cobra started to draw slow circles over her collarbones.

Lucy's breath stalled when his calloused hand slid down between her breasts, and moved on to her stomach. There was a slight tremble in his fingers while he brushed over her skin, and Lucy moaned softly as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth before pulling away. "Scale of one to ten," she said softly, "One being 'no reaction' and ten being 'panic attack'... Where are you right now?"

Cobra paused and blinked, then looked down to see where his hand was. Her stomach. The same place he had touched when he'd panicked earlier. He focused on the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips, how soft and smooth it was, and how he felt small scars here and there that he hadn't noticed before.  _'Deep breaths,'_  he reminded himself. "Three."

"Alright, slowly put your whole hand on my stomach, Sugar. Stop if you get to five." Lucy smiled when he nodded, and she watched him for any sign that he was going to try and hold out even if he started to panic. It was astounding just how exciting this simple action was for her. She was finally going to feel him touching her, and would know what it was like for his hands to run over her more sensitive flesh. He paused for only a moment when nearly all of his palm was flush against her, and then Lucy moaned softly when he pressed his hand to her.

"Fuck, you're soft," Cobra whispered, his thumb twitching slightly with how badly he wanted to run his hand over her. He heard her silent encouragement, and carefully brushed his thumb back and forth over her stomach, groaning while he watched her eyes flutter closed. "Scale of one to ten," he whispered, a small smirk on his lips, "How turned on are you, Bright Eyes?"

"One being 'no reaction' and ten being 'oh god, I'm cumming'?" she asked, giggling when he nodded. "Four." She gasped when his hand started sliding lower and lower, shivering and fighting to keep herself still. "F-Five…"

"This is easier than I thought," Cobra said softly, massaging her bare hip for a moment before sliding down her thigh. He slowly moved back up, grinning when Lucy moaned as his thumb brushed over her inner thigh mere inches from her sex before continuing on his path up to her navel. "Two…" He grinned at her when her eyes filled with happiness. "I'm usually at a one or two when I touch you normally."

"Take all the time you want, Erik. You can do this all night if you'd like." Lucy giggled when he kissed her tenderly, feeling the hand on her wrists sliding up to gently clasp hers.  _"I love you."_

"I love you too, Lucy," he whispered against her lips. The hand on her stomach stilled as he got ready to move further north, to finally feel her breast with nothing between them. The anticipation was killing him, but he didn't want to get overly confident and have to stop if it was too much. With one more second to prepare himself, Cobra slid his hand up and let his fingertips brush against the underside of one large mound. He used only a small portion of his fingers to draw slow circles around it, moving closer and closer to the pink bud that had already peaked with Lucy's heightened arousal.

Lucy gasped and a jolt of pleasure speared out from where his thumb brushed over her nipple, causing a breathy moan to spill from her. "H-How about n-now?" she stuttered, her eyes rolling back when his palm pressed against her, and his fingers tentatively flexed.

"Three."

"Oh, God…" Lucy moaned, unconsciously arching her back to feel more of him when Cobra pinched and rolled her nipple between his fingers.

"Four…" Cobra pulled back just a little when Lucy pressed herself more firmly into his hand. He knew she was getting more turned on by the second, and that it was a natural reaction for her to want more pleasure from what he was doing. Even still, the sudden movement had a slight bit of panic rising in him.

"It's okay, Sugar. I won't hurt you…  _Mmm…_ I won't hurt you." Lucy moaned again when his mouth slanted over hers, a low groan rumbling through him as he palmed her chest more insistently. She squeezed the hand that held her own when he started kissing his way down her neck "F-Fuck," she panted, lifting her head to watch as his lips moved further and further down.

Without another thought on the matter, not even taking the time to prepare himself for it, Cobra licked a searing path from her heart down onto her unattended tip, groaning when she cried out. He had always wanted to hear Lucy making these sounds for him, because of him, and he couldn't help but feed into his need to have more. His mouth closed over her, and for the first time ever… He didn't feel the slightest bit of anxiety over touching her. Not when he was able to hear and feel her love, her pride, and her desire while the taste that was uniquely Lucy's burst across his tongue as it flicked over her nipple in time with his thumb on her other breast.

Lucy's eyes went wide as the hand holding hers to the bed slid from her grasp and moved slowly down her body. As soon as both of his hands were on her chest, Cobra switched to the other side and Lucy moaned while tightly gripping the pillow beneath her head so she wouldn't be tempted to touch him. "Fuck, Erik! Just like tha-atttt…"

" _Three."_

"F-Five and a half!" Lucy stilled when his teeth scraped over her, her eyes rolling back and a louder moan than before ripping from her throat. He could hear just what she liked, what she wanted, and what she had no clue she wanted. No one had ever done that before, and the odd sharpness of his teeth grazing against her had heat spreading through each of her limbs.

Cobra grinned against her before kissing his way back up to her parted lips, his hands slowly gripping her waist before moving down to her hips. "Two," he whispered, smirking when she lifted her head and tenderly kissed him.

"That's starting to become my favorite number," Lucy laughed breathily. "No higher than a four so far?"

"Nope, I'm good. Pretty sure it just caught me off guard earlier, and that's why I flipped." He paused and gave her a devilish grin, then let the fingers on one hand lightly dance along her thigh and up to her dripping sex. "Still a two," he whispered when Lucy tensed and whimpered. Slowly, taking great care that he didn't start to feel panicked in the slightest, Cobra moved his finger along her nether lips while nibbling on Lucy's jaw and earlobe.

Lucy gasped and whimpered when Cobra pushed a single finger between her folds, drawing those same circles he'd been doing before as he moved closer and closer to her entrance. "Fuck, Erik… P-Please…" she rasped.

Cobra groaned and pushed into her core as his mouth closed over hers again. He kissed her fiercely, feeling a very welcome burning in his veins at the thought of being able to at least touch and please the woman he loved. He listened in as he started a slow rhythm, feeling her velvety walls gripping his finger in a way he would never have an adequate enough vocabulary to describe. Those waves and lightning crashes in her soul returned more forcefully than before, washing through him and ramping up his own arousal. The crackling embers were slowly morphing into a blazing fire, and he grinned when he added a second finger, moving faster and with more purpose.

Lucy groaned when he held her hips in place just as she was about to start meeting his thrusting fingers, but when he pushed into her as deeply as he could manage and started scissoring them inside, she broke away from his lips with a cry of pure pleasure. "Fuck! H-Hold my h-hands, Sugar! Don't l-let me…  _Mnnnnnaaaahh…_ Touch y-you…"

Cobra growled at the mention of her not being able to touch him, but his breath stuttered when her arms twitched as if she was about to lose her control. That was when he really realized that he'd let her hands go. He wasn't keeping them in place, so she would be able to freely touch him. "Shit," he groaned, pulling his hand from her hip and catching her hands just as they lifted from the pillows. "Five, Lucy…"

"It's…  _Angggh…_ It's okay…" she panted. She looked up to see his pupil had dilated, that his breathing had started to become shallow.  _"Kiss me, Sugar. You're always safe with me."_  She moaned when his slightly trembling lips pressed against her cheek and he started pistoning into her with reckless abandon. "Yes! Oh, Erik!"

"Fuck, Lucy… You're soaked," he groaned, bringing his thumb to her sensitive bundle and quickly circling it.

" _You've got my hands, Erik. It's okay. I can't touch you now."_ Lucy gasped and shuddered when his fingers curled slightly. "Fuck that feels so  _good_!" Now that his other hand was holding hers to the bed, Lucy was able to meet his fingers with equal vigor as she panted and moaned his name.

Cobra grit his teeth as he felt his panic starting to rise. "Six…" Just that mention of her possibly touching him had fear running rampant through him, but he didn't want to give up. Not when he could tell just how close Lucy was. He refused to get this goddamn close to finally giving her what she wanted only to give up and leave her in a tense and knotted mess. He had heard enough women's thoughts to know that a guy leaving them all worked up with no actual release left them pissed for days, especially when they had to finish the job themselves. "S-Seven…" That wasn't something he wanted to do to her.  _"I don't wanna stop… Lucy…"_

Lucy was nearly lost to sensation until she heard him. He was starting to lose it. She ran through everything she had read in those books about helping someone calm themselves down before their anxiety became unbearable and brought on an attack.  _'He needs to think of something that calms him down,'_ she thought. It was easier said than done. Instead, Lucy decided to use his magic to her advantage.

Cobra groaned when that sensual song in her soul was suddenly accompanied by the familiar thrumming noise he loved to hear when she thought about him. "Four," he whispered against her lips before closing the distance between them and languidly kissing her. It really was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard, just like he'd told her. It was how happy their time together made her, how she'd grown to love him. "Three…" It leeched away the worst of his fear, filling him with so much of what she felt that his fingers slowed to a moderate pace. " _Mmm…_ Two… That's why I love you so damn much, you know. You always take care of me when I can't do it myself."

Lucy's heart started pounding in her chest, swelling with more love than she'd ever experienced at such a heartfelt admission from Cobra. She had known for a long time that he loved her, but that day was the first time he'd ever actually said it. And now… "E-Erik," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion while her eyes shined with happy tears. She wished she could wrap her arms around him right then, just to show him how much what he said meant to her.

"You don't need to show me, Lucy. I can hear it… and feel it," he whispered back. He smiled down at her, running his nose along hers as he listened to a new sound starting to make itself known. It was just a soft, slow purring noise that seemed to fill all of the blank spaces in her, making sure there was never a second of dead air between the waves, lightning, and fire as her memory of their happiness receded back into herself. He couldn't place what it was, hadn't quite figured it out, but it somehow made him even more relaxed. "One."

Lucy smiled up at him, and moaned softly when he curled his fingers again. She didn't know what he was planning when his eye flashed with lust, but she soon found out when he started slowly moving down her body. Tender kisses were placed all across her chest and stomach. He pulled her bound hands along with him, settling them just under her ribs, and she lifted her head when she felt his breath dancing across her glistening sex.

Her scent was so potent, so overwhelmingly arousing, that Cobra had to take a moment to collect himself before he did something he might regret- like throwing her legs over his shoulders and diving in like a man starved. He watched where his fingers pushed into her, saw just how soaked she was, and felt himself getting painfully hard at the thought of her reacting like this to him. His eye trailed up her perfect body until he saw her watching him, then he grinned and kissed the bare flesh just above her slit. "I love you, beautiful."

"I love yo-  _Ohhh_ , Erik!" Lucy moaned as his mouth closed over her clit. "Oh, god! You're amazing!" Her eyes went wide and rolled back as her head dropped to the pillow when his tongue flicked over her, and a keening cry left her when his fingers circled in time with his tongue.

He groaned as her sex started to tighten around his fingers, and it only made him more ravenous. He had ached to have his mouth on her, to finally taste just how sweet this beautiful woman really was, and now that he had the chance he wasn't going to waste a second of it. He paused when her hips shifted slightly, but the way she kept moaning his name as she clutched tightly to his hand made him start right back up. Eventually, Lucy was rolling her hips to be closer to him, and Cobra let out a long, animalistic growl and he quickly pulled his fingers from her sex and dropped his mouth to her entrance.

Lucy screamed when his tongue plunged into her wildly. "Erik! R-Right there… Right…  _Ohhh…_  Right THERE! Fuck!"

Cobra was in absolute heaven right then. Lucy was sitting right on the edge of her release, and she just kept getting sweeter by the second. That strange landscape that her soul was narrating was thrashing wildly. The waves crashing against a cliff while the thunder seemed to precede the lightning as it constantly flashed overhead. That fire he'd heard was a blazing inferno that was threatening to consume him in its heat as it burned everything it touched to the ground.  _"Cum for me, Lucy. Lemme taste just how sweet you are."_

Lucy's body tensed, wound so tightly that she felt like she would snap. "Eri-  _Ahhnnnnnnnn…"_ She panted and writhed, wanting to be closer to the man that was giving her so much pleasure while also pulling away from it in the hopes of not losing her damn mind. She felt lightheaded as the intensity increased, mounting and swirling inside until finally…

Cobra didn't care how much Lucy's voice hurt his ears while she screamed his name in pure ecstasy. The sight of her back arching, how her hands gripped his so tightly, the spasming of her sex around his tongue when he pushed back in, and just how sweet she tasted; he couldn't get enough. He needed more of it, and kept groaning and plunging into her core violently before pushing his fingers back in and teasing her sensitive bundle with his tongue and teeth again. "Fuck, Lucy," he growled against her, listening to her moans get longer and longer while she was awash in pleasure. "Gimme one more."

Lucy couldn't have cared less in that moment if the world around them was taken over by Zeref and burned to the ground. All she wanted was to keep feeling this intense euphoria mixed with the earth-shattering, mind-numbing pleasure that Cobra was still giving her. He gave her no reprieve, no chance to come down from her high and relax into that heavy-limbed bliss when her body relaxed. No, instead she had found the one guy in all of Earthland that was able to keep her up in the heavens for what felt like hours. She could tell she was speaking, moaning some semblance of a sentence or thought, but she hadn't a clue what it might be or if it was nothing more than garbled bastardizations of words.

Cobra decided to take a chance and let go of Lucy's hands with how relaxed he was. Almost as soon as there was nothing for her to hold onto, her hands shot down towards him. He stopped moving and tensed, shutting his eye in the hope that maybe his reaction wouldn't be as bad if he couldn't see where she was about to touch him. He breathed a sigh of relief when her hands tangled in his hair and roughly pulled him closer to her while she moaned what he could only guess was supposed to be his name. His free hand pushed one of her legs down onto the bed, and he tilted his head to the side and nipped at her sex.

He heard her panting become more ragged, and pulled his fingers from her to push her other leg down onto the bed, spreading her wide open for him to feast on. Cobra had been hesitant to lose control with her before, but now that he was seeing just how wild Lucy got when she let go, he never wanted to be in control of himself again. His fingers dug into her thighs as he growled once more, feeling hers tightening almost painfully in his hair.  _"I'm not stopping until I can taste you again, Lucy. I_ _ **need**_ _it. You taste so fucking good..."_ He groaned and flattened his tongue over, then plunged back in as she froze and broke apart around him.  _"That's it... Fuck, you're so goddamn delicious..."_

Lucy smiled softly as Cobra slowly lapped up every trace of her climax. He kissed his way over every inch of her stomach and chest, briefly closing his lips over her nipples, and she felt him grinning while his nose ran along the column of her throat. "I love... You... So fucking... Much..." she panted.

Cobra hummed happily, playfully nipping at her neck in the perfect spot to make her twitch and giggle. Her hands were still in his hair, and he tensed when her elbows brushed against his shoulders. With a grimace, he grabbed the silk around her wrists, then carefully pulled her hands down to kiss her knuckles.

"When did my hands get in your hair?"

Cobra chuckled as he watched her eyes slowly open. "When I let them go." She was absolutely breathtaking right then with a healthy flush across her cheeks, half-lidded eyes, and probably the laziest smile he had ever seen on her face. Her soul had calmed down considerably, and now he was able to hear only that soft purring noise he still couldn't place. "I was relaxed enough, so I figured I'd try to let you go. You apparently decided my face wasn't close enough and tried to suffocate me with your snatch."

Lucy pouted and glared up at him as she said, "Well, I'm sure you would've died a happy man."

"Correction, I would have died a happy  _virgin_. If I'm going out with my face between your legs, then I want to  _at least_  have had the chance to fuck your brains out first." Cobra sighed and shook his head as he rested it on her shoulder, keeping himself propped up on his elbows so his chest wasn't touching hers. "God, that's fucking depressing…"

"Nah," Lucy said dismissively. "It just means I get to be the first one to find out how much of a beast you are in the sack."

"First one, huh?" Cobra grumbled. "Planning on taking off?"

"Excuse me?" Lucy frowned and furrowed her brow while she tried to move her hands and get him to look at her.

"Don't move…" Cobra sighed when she instantly went still, then slowly lifted his head to look at her.

"What the hell was that?" Lucy asked.

"Wha-"

"Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about. What the fuck, Erik?"

Cobra rolled his eye and went to look away from her again, only to freeze when she shifted and lightly pinched the tip of his ear between her fingers. "Lucy, let go," he said carefully. She was angry, and he could understand why since he knew that she wasn't going to leave him over nothing; otherwise, she would have jumped on the opportunity when he had tried to push her away before.

"Not until you talk to me." She had no idea where his thoughts had just gone that he would say something like that. He knew she wasn't just going to up and leave him without a damn good reason, so it didn't make any sense. She had never even entertained the thought of not having Cobra in her life, even with the issues he had. "You're  _Erik_  with me, not fucking  _Cobra_. So stop distancing yourself as if I'm just like everyone else, and tell me what's up."

"Let go…" he whispered, closing his eye and clenching his jaw. "Lucy, please let go…" She had never touched him while she was angry, and it was only making it worse. The thought that she was going to hurt him like this was only bolstered by the fact that every time he'd been beaten, the ones that were hurting him had been angry. He tried to pull away only for her grip on his ear to tighten, and he whimpered when the pain from that slight pinch caused memories of far worse pain to surface.  _'It hurts…'_ he thought frantically, _'Please stop… Lucy, please don't hurt me!'_

"Erik-"

"Fucking nine, Lucy. Let the fuck go!"

Lucy squeaked and pulled her hands back to her chest, her eyes going wide when he dropped his head to her shoulder again. She could feel just how intensely he was shaking, how his breathing was getting faster and shallower, and felt like an absolute ass for not noticing it before. His hands clenched into fists on either side of her head, and she watched as he bit down on his lip while he tried to calm himself down again. "I'm sorry, Erik. I wasn't thinking… Shit, I'm so sorry…"

Cobra quickly shook his head. He didn't want to hear her apologizing right then. He wanted her to help him calm down like she did while he was touching her. "Th-Think about… us… Please…" he whimpered.

"What?"

"Like earlier… Please, Lucy… L-Lemme hear i-it a-again… P-Please…" He ground his teeth together as his anxiety kept climbing. Lucy hadn't meant to hurt him, he knew that. Technically, the small pinch to his ear wasn't as painful as it could have been, but it was just enough of a shock for him to skyrocket on a straight path to having his second attack of the night. He already knew that trying to control his breathing wasn't going to do a damn thing for him this time around, and only hoped that Lucy could help him so he didn't spiral out of control.

Realization dawned on her not a moment later, and she quickly tried to pick a memory of their time together that made her happy. "Remember our first date?"

Cobra nodded quickly, feeling the first stirrings of that beautiful and relaxing thrumming starting to echo through her. It slithered into his head, trying to combat the lightheaded feeling he had, and he shuddered violently as his own memories of the Tower grew in strength. "H-Hurry…" he whimpered, tensing his whole body as if he could stop what was coming.

"You probably already know this, but I was so nervous when I was getting ready, I think I went through my whole closet about five times trying to find the perfect outfit for a date that I had absolutely  _no clue_ how to dress for with a guy I knew hardly anything about." Lucy paused and giggled, remembering just how silly she had felt afterwards when it had turned out to be a picnic in a field under the stars; luckily, she'd been dressed appropriately after all. She closed her eyes and ran through every small detail of that memory. How happy she had been that he wanted to take her out on a date to begin with, the giddy feeling she'd had when he knocked on her door right on time. How she'd opened it to find him just leaning on the wall with his arms crossed like she had taken too long to answer. She saw right through that rough exterior even then, and only found it adorable that he had tried so hard to still be intimidating when there was a light blush on his cheeks just from seeing her.

"And then we sat under the stars and just  _talked_. I was so happy that I was actually on a date with a guy that heard what I was saying instead of just staring at my tits. You weren't all handsy, and you could actually hold a decent conversation- even though you knew what I was going to say before I said it." Lucy laughed softly while she kept reminiscing. "And the stars that night... It's like you knew that it would be the clearest, most perfect night to see them. And you knew about constellations! It was the best date I had ever been on, and it was all so completely unexpected that I had no idea what to make of you. I mean, there I was… Going on a totally  _normal_  and perfectly romantic date with an ex-criminal that had tried to kill my best friend, and then erase me from existence! I thought I was crazy for a little while for even accepting the offer, but with how you looked at me, there was just something about you that I couldn't say no to- not that I really wanted to in the first place. I'm sure that you already knew I thought you were far too sexy for your own good, so there was no way I was going to turn down a date with you when I found out in our first conversation that you were smart as hell. Then you told me why you asked me out when you dropped me off at home at three in the morning..."

Cobra nodded again, another whimper escaping him. The happiness that danced in her memory and filtered into his head was fighting against his anxiety with everything it was worth, but it wasn't enough.

"You said it was because you heard my soul when I was getting sucked into the Infinity Clock..."

"I had n-never heard anything l-like it... It's so perfect... And p-peaceful..." Cobra growled in frustration when his anxiety didn't diminish nearly enough, then shakily pulled Lucy's hands up and looped them over his head, flinching and fighting not to curl in on himself when her arms rested on his shoulders.  _"Even when you were doing everything you could to get free, your soul just screamed perfection…"_

"Erik, what are you doing?!" Lucy nearly shouted, torn between trying to pull her arms away from him so he could relax and staying right there so she didn't accidentally touch more of him.

"Hold me... P-Please hold m-me..." he whimpered again.

"Erik, it just makes it worse... You know that."

"Please..." He flinched again when her arms shifted slightly, then forced himself to roll onto his side while he wrapped his arms around her. "E-Eight… Almost nine... Just... Just please..."

Lucy sighed and carefully shifted, so Cobra's head was settled on her chest, his trembling body pressed flush against her with only a pair of boxers stopping her from feeling every inch of his naked flesh. "Erik... Sugar," she whispered tenderly, "I'm taking the scarf off, okay?"

Cobra nodded then held his breath while she started trying to untie her wrists.  _"Do you really like this one?"_

"It's been  _here_ for three months, I think I can live without it."

Cobra sighed and pulled her hands over his head, then tore through the material with his teeth in one swift motion. He felt her pull the shredded scarf from between them, then one hand tangled in his hair to pull his head back to her chest while the other wrapped around his shoulders. "Fuck... Goddamnit, no!" He flinched and shivered again, another whimper bordering on a strangled sob escaping him.

"Back to nine?" Lucy asked worriedly, her worry only increasing when Cobra shook his head quickly. "Ten?" When Cobra nodded, Lucy's eyes went wide as she got ready to pull herself away from him. "Sugar, maybe this is too much right now..."

"N-No! Shit, Lucy... Don't let go of me... I c-can do this..." He squeezed her tightly to him, clenched his eye shut, and tried to force himself to breathe again. "I-I need to… T-Tell me I'm s-safe with you... Please..."

"You're safe, Erik. I'm right here, and I won't hurt you. Okay?"

Cobra couldn't understand why it always felt like someone touching him made him believe he was being hurt. He knew it wasn't painful to feel Lucy's hands on him, and he was fully aware of the fact that  _she_  of all people wouldn't hurt him the way he had been before. So why was it that each touch from her made him feel like he was being whipped all over again? He knew he had to force himself past the fear, the memories, and phantom pain he was feeling, but that didn't make it any easier to do. "It d-doesn't hurt," he whispered to himself. "It doesn't… Y-You're not h-hurting me…"

"That's right," Lucy said softly. "I'm not hurting you. I'm just holding you, Erik. It's exactly the same as when you hold me when we go to sleep."

"I-It's the same…" Cobra whispered. "It doesn't really h-hu-" Cobra's words were cut off by another flinch and whimper as he struggled to breathe. "I-I'm s-safe! I-I'm…"

"Shh. It's okay, Erik. I'll hold you as long as you want or need me to."

"I'm s-sorry..." The growl he tried to let out died in his throat as it constricted, his chest burning with the lack of air even though he was trying to pull more in. Her hand twitched as if she wanted to move it, and he curled away from it and closer to her only to try and shy away from the warmth of her body. He needed to feel her arms around him, but it was terrifying to let her do it. Cobra ached to just feel even a sliver of comfort while she held him, but it never came.

"You didn't do anything wrong..." Lucy frowned when she realized just how little air he was actually letting out. "Breathe, Erik. Don't start hyperventilating. Just breathe. Gimme a big exhale, alright?"

Cobra nodded, and put all of his focus on doing what Lucy told him. He fought tooth and nail through his fear, realizing that he was so lightheaded because he had been holding his breath. When he tried to push the air out of himself, his body only pulled more in to soothe the ache in his lungs that had started as a result of being filled to capacity for too long.

"Breathe  _out_ , Erik. You can do it." Lucy closed her eyes and nestled her nose in his hair when the tremors running through him grew in strength. "You've got this, Sugar. I know it's hard, but you can do it."

Through some miracle, the air finally rushed out of him. He gasped and tried to breathe to replenish what he'd lost, but Lucy gently squeezed his shoulders and it made breathing next to impossible while that air left him as well.

"Good," she whispered tenderly. "In for seven seconds, then out for eleven seconds, alright? Nice and slow..." Lucy calmly stroked his hair, counting out loud for him while he tried to follow her instructions. It took some time before he could really start to control his breathing, but when his breathing had returned to normal for the most part- even though he was still shaking like a leaf- she gently kissed the top of his head and whispered, "Why did you say you're sorry?"

"I shouldn't have said that to you..."

"Then why did you?"

Cobra sighed and shook his head, flinching again when Lucy gently brushed her fingers over his shoulder in what he knew was supposed to be a comforting gesture. "Nothing lasts for me, Lucy. It's why I've tried to get you the hell away from me so many times. I wanna be the one that chooses when something-or some _one_ , in your case- is taken away from me. The fact that you've stuck around this long is still something I can't understand..."

"It's because I love you, Erik. You already know that."

He nodded slowly, then started drawing lazy circles on her back in an attempt at creating some sense of normalcy in the wake of what had happened. "It's just... Saying you'd be the 'first one'... Makes it seem like you plan on ditching me at some point. I wouldn't blame you for it... I'm not delusional, so I know love can only do so much to keep you around..."

Lucy stilled and slowly tilted his head back so she could look at him. "Erik, that wasn't what I meant when I said that…"

"Then what did you-" Cobra started to ask, only for his eyebrows to shoot up in surprise when he heard what she was trying to keep to herself.

' _I want to be the_ _ **only**_ _one… I can't tell him that yet… I never want to be without him.'_

Lucy ignored the question he'd been trying to ask, along with the way he was just staring at her, and continued. "Besides, love is one of the most powerful emotions out there," she said gently. "The more love you have for someone, the more you can do  _because_  of it."

Cobra was broken from his stupor and decided to leave what she'd been thinking alone. If she wasn't ready to tell him something like that even though her soul seemed to agree with her thoughts wholeheartedly, then he wouldn't push the subject. Lucy never tried to push things with him, so he always gave her the same respect. Finally, he shook his head sadly and whispered, "I've never believed all the shit people say about 'the power of love'. I've never had someone show me that it can really do what everyone says…I don't know what it's supposed to feel like from someone else, at least not when it's directed at me. No one ever loved me until you came along, Lucy. Hell, I wasn't even sure if that's what I felt for you until you said it the first time…"

"Erik…" Lucy's thumb brushed across his cheek as another shudder ran through him.

Cobra swallowed thickly and said, "Lucy… I-I know you love me, and I love you too... But, I don't know what it's like to have someone touch me without causing me pain. That's all I've ever known..."

"Erik, that's what I've been trying to help you with," Lucy said earnestly. "Maybe we just tried to do too much in one night. We should have just taken it a little slower..."

"No, it's because I'm fucked in the head. We both know why I can't bear to have you touch me without freaking out. You knew enough before I took my shirt off, and you saw for yourself what those bastards left me with." He sighed and shook his head, then carefully pulled himself from Lucy's embrace, sitting up on the bed and propping his elbows on his knees while his fingers roughly tangled in his deep crimson locks. "I don't know how to handle being touched. I've only  _ever_  felt pain from it- being whipped, kicked, beaten with clubs, shackled… It's always been pain. And now… Now I've  _finally_ got the chance to feel what it's like for someone to touch me out of love, and I can't handle it. I can't fucking do it, Lucy. I want to feel the love you have for me, but it doesn't come. It's just more pain… And I know it'll never stop being that way…"

"It will, Erik. You have to believe it will, otherwise you'll only hold yourself back from moving past it," Lucy said as she sat up next to him. Because he had pulled her away from him, she wasn't going to chance touching him again unless she had his permission. She wanted to have her arms wrapped around him again so badly, to just be able to comfort him the way he longed for her to do just  _once_  without him being afraid.

"Really? So you're telling me that I can just wish away flashbacks, and everything will be alright?" he whispered angrily. "That's what happens when you touch me. Every time, even when you're just holding my hands or laying your head on my chest when we go to sleep. Every fucking time you've ever touched me, I've remembered something that happened to me, and it doesn't go away. The pain comes back, even though I  _know_  you're not hurting me. When you grabbed my ear, the pain came back. When I tried to pull away and you pinched it, that small shock turned into a goddamn lightning storm because all I could think about was how I didn't want to get hurt again, and what they fucking did to me. So, how the hell am I supposed to just  _believe_  it'll stop when it hasn't for the past two years?"

Lucy was silent for a long while, feeling as though they had finally come to a standstill. She had hoped that her idea of letting Cobra touch her and having her touch him under controlled circumstances would help him. She hadn't expected it to be an automatic fix for the years of trauma he had experienced, but she at least thought that there was something she could do to help. Now she was left feeling inadequate. For all of the strength and magic she had, all of the Spirits she could summon when she needed help solving a problem, and the countless times she had prided herself on being a shoulder for everyone to lean on and the one that could help people work through their problems… The one time it mattered the most, when it concerned Cobra's fear of being touched, there wasn't anything she could do.

Cobra frowned and turned his head sharply to look at Lucy in bewilderment. She was blaming herself for him not being able to handle physical contact. Sure, she had tried to help him, and it was a commendable effort, but her anger and guilt were completely misplaced. He was the one that had the issue, and he couldn't believe she wasn't more upset with him for just saying there wasn't anything to be done about it. "I can still touch you, so it's not-"

"Don't." Lucy turned her head away from him and peered at his shirt and jacket that were piled on the floor, taking a soft shaky breath while wrapping her arms around herself. "I won't have something so one-sided and selfish in our relationship. If I can't touch you, give you as much pleasure and happiness as you give me from it, then I won't let you do that for me either."

"Lucy, that's just ridiculous."

"It's not," she whispered with a soft smile on her face, turning back to Cobra and see his eye widen slightly. "Relationships are about give and take. If we left it with you being able to touch me, then I would only be taking. I could feel just how much you loved me every single time you touched me, Erik. It's in the way you look at me. How, even though your hands were shaking because you were scared, you were still letting me feel that love from you. That's what I want for you. You  _deserve_  to feel my love when I touch you. You deserve it more than anyone I've ever met."

"Well, you're shit out of luck. This is as good as it'll get, Lucy." Cobra turned his gaze back to the charcoal grey bedspread and ran a thumb over the scar on one of his wrists. "I give up… There's nothing left for me to do to try and make this better… You tried, but… I'm just too fucked up for it to work."

Lucy slowly slid off of the bed, then leaned over and tapped the comforter just next to Cobra. When he turned to look at her again, she said, "You may be willing to give up, but I'm not. I believe in you, and I know you can do this." She paused and held out one hand. "Take my hand, and we'll try one last thing tonight."

Cobra hesitated, then slowly reached over and clasped his hand with hers. He let Lucy pull him to the edge of the bed, then stared at her in shock when she knelt down between his legs. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We're going to have  _me_  touch  _you_ ," Lucy said calmly. "Take my hands, and put them wherever you want me to touch you."

"I'm just gonna freak the fuck out."

"That's why we're going to take our time, and I'm going to show you how to feel love from being touched. You have to trust me for this, Erik. If you don't trust me, then we'll stop before we even start. So… Do you trust me?"

"With my life, Bright Eyes."

"Then take my hands and put them somewhere on your body," Lucy said, her voice tender and sweet. She smiled as Cobra looked at where her hands were being gently held in his, then he slowly lifted them to his racing pulse where his neck met his shoulder. "First, tell me from one to ten."

"Three."

"I love how it feels when your lips are pressed against my pulse, because you're the only man in the world that can make it start to race as though I was running a marathon with just a small kiss." She carefully pressed her fingers to his pulse and slowly travelled up the length of his throat and back down to where he'd originally put her hands.

Cobra took a shaky breath, watching Lucy's face intently the entire time. She didn't look at the spot she was touching, but only into his eye. He slowly pulled her hands to one shoulder, shivering at the oddly warm sensation that was left in her wake. "Three."

"Whenever I feel like everything is weighing me down, and there's nowhere to turn, you show up and somehow find a way to brighten up my day. I love that you remind me that I don't have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, because you're there with me." Lucy lightly massaged his shoulder, her smile never faltering as she added, "Plus, you give amazing back rubs."

Cobra smirked and narrowed his eye at her, then carefully slid her hands down over his chest to his hip. He raised an eyebrow at her and whispered, "Three."

"I can't tell you how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night, only to feel your thumb drawing circles over my hip in your sleep. It makes me shiver, and sends heat pouring through me all at the same time," she whispered back. "I can't get enough of the way you caress me when we dance together in your living room- where you stand behind me, lay your hands over my hips, and just sway slowly even when there's no music playing."

Cobra kept one of Lucy's hands on his hip while he moved the other up to his stomach, his nostrils flaring when the scent of her arousal started getting thicker in the air while she got to touch the muscles she had been admiring before. "Four."

"Ever since our first conversation after you joined the guild, I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about you. It twists in knots when you're away on a mission, and as soon as I see that you're back safe and sound, those butterflies come back twice as strong." Lucy's fingers slowly ran over the tense muscles of his abdomen, feeling a slight shiver every now and then. "When I feel your hands on my stomach- when we're lying in bed, watching a movie, or even just sitting out in the woods because we were bored- those butterflies lose their minds with excitement and start fluttering in a dizzying explosion of happiness."

Cobra's breath stuttered at the look of pure adoration in her huge doe eyes, and he was suddenly becoming much more curious to see what she would say. Her hands seemed as though they moved on their own while he was lost in her gaze, but he knew deep down that he had been the one to move them. "Two," he whispered after pressing a soft kiss to her fingertips where they rested on his lips.

"The way you kiss me makes me forget how to breathe. I'd rather keep your lips pressed against mine than have to take another breath, because they make me feel like I'm right where I belong. Our first kiss was short and sweet and perfect, because it showed me who you were inside… And I loved that you were willing to open up enough to even let me see that in you." Lucy paused as she ran her thumb over Cobra's lower lip, gently pulling it from between his sharpened teeth. "Feeling your lips anywhere on me turns my legs to jelly and my blood to fire. I crave your lips in any way I can have them. Even if it's just watching you talk, or seeing that one smile that's all mine."

There was one more place that Cobra was curious about, and he wanted to know more than anything what she would say when he placed her hand there. That soft purring noise he had been hearing from her soul earlier had returned, only a little bit louder this time. He didn't dwell on whatever the noise was, and instead pressed his palm to the back of Lucy's hand and laced their fingers together. Then pressed it over his heart. "Six…" he said breathlessly as he felt warmth spreading through him in soothing waves.

Lucy's smile widened, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "You stole my heart two years ago, and I've never wanted it back. You make it pound so hard I think it's going to burst, and then you somehow find a way to make it melt with just a smile. You're the reason it keeps beating so strong when I feel like there's no reason whatsoever to keep going. Loving you has filled my heart with hope that, even though things aren't always how we want them to be, there's a way to get through those hard times so we can smile again." Lucy carefully lifted her other hand from Cobra's hip and sandwiched his hands between hers, then she slowly pulled them down to his lap. Her eyes never left his single purple orb, so she was surprised to see tears suddenly welling in the corners of it.

Cobra's eye widened as he watched Lucy move in slow motion, feeling lost in her eyes that seemed to keep him rooted to the spot. Her lips pressed gently over his heart, and he felt it swelling with emotion that seemed to pass right through his chest from those delicate, plump lips. "E-Eight…" he choked out. This time though, even with the fear he had of her touching him, his throat didn't constrict with the usual panicked shortness of breath. Everything stilled around them, the ticking of the clock on the wall fading into nothingness, until it was as if they were frozen in time.

"Sometimes," she whispered, letting her lips brush over him with each soft spoken word, "It feels like my heart will explode with the sheer force of my love for you. No matter how big people might say my heart is, it's not nearly big enough to hold how much I love you, Erik. It spills over and fills me from head to toe, seeps right into my soul and waits for you to hear it calling out to you." Lucy took a shuddering breath and pressed one last kiss to his chest. She pulled her hands from his lax grasp and wrapped her arms around his waist as she dropped her head to his lap, finally letting her tears fall while she opened herself up to him completely. She let her soul sing as loudly as it wanted, not trying to hide anything from him. "I love you so much, Erik," she whispered brokenly. "I-I just wish you could feel it…"

Cobra felt the tears that had been welling in his good eye finally spilling over when he heard her. Her words had slowly eaten away at his fear, and anything that was left of it by the time she wrapped her arms around him disappeared when her soul's true song practically filled the air around them. That soft purring that he hadn't been able to place before grew in strength until it became a perfectly harmonized choir. Hundreds upon hundreds of sounds and sensations assaulted him, all of them revolving around him. He felt her love for him pulsing through the harmonies, creating its own unique melody that wove itself into the very fiber of his being, just as it had with Lucy. Those waves of lust and desire that he had wanted to drown in were nothing in comparison to this. This song was one he never wanted to forget. Every memory they shared together, every time she'd thought about him, dreamt of him, or even just looked at him from across the guild hall while she wished that she could be curled up to his side. Every too-short kiss, every awkward hug, and her happiness when he just held her in his arms. This was truly beautiful, and the fact that it was all coming from Lucy- a woman he had not once, but  _twice_ , tried to destroy- both baffled and amazed him.

He was in awe of the depth of her love for him, but he knew that he shouldn't have been. Her soul harmonized with his own in a way he hadn't known possible. His own love for Lucy ran just as deep, was just as fierce and overwhelming. He'd been able to feel it when she was touching him instead of the pain he always felt. It was warm and inviting, and everything he knew it should be. Everything he had wanted to feel when she touched him was there. "L-Lucy," he said softly. When she only continued to cry, Cobra pried her arms from around him and quickly picked her up. He laid them both down on the bed, and didn't even flinch when she pressed her nose to his bare chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt an odd tingling sensation in his back where her hands were at, but he wasn't afraid of it. He welcomed that touch, because he knew without a doubt that there was nothing to be afraid of when it came to the beautiful and angelic woman that was crazy enough to love him. A wide and watery smile spread across his face while he held her just as tightly, not caring in the slightest how much of his skin was exposed or touched. "Th-Thank you, Lucy… Thank y-you…"

Lucy's eyes shot open and she quickly took stock of where her hands were at. She felt Cobra trembling, heard his haggard breathing, and pulled her hands back in an attempt to calm him down while she looked up at his face. She was instantly consumed with confusion when she was pinned to the bed and he started pressing his lips to every inch of her cheeks, lips, and neck. When he finally lifted his head to look at her, Lucy saw that he was crying… and smiling. He seemed so light and free, like he'd finally been able to get to a zero on that one to ten scale they'd been using.

"More like negative ten, Bright Eyes," Cobra laughed as he wiped her tears away.


	4. Chapter 4

 

When Lucy only looked at him in confusion, still clearly not understanding just what she'd been able to do for him, Cobra grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. He grinned as he moved her hand lower and her thumb brushed over the top of his boxers, then he brought it around his side and let go once her fingers were touching the scars on his back. He still shivered slightly when she touched his scars, but it wasn't from pain. No, the concept of not experiencing pain or being terrified when he was touched was foreign territory for him, so there was just an odd tingling sensation where her hand was that he just wasn't used to. A small part of him still tried to insist that he should at least be wary, but he simply did what he could to ignore it. There's only so much healing that can be done in one night, after all. "You're not hurting me," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers briefly. "It doesn't hurt, Lucy."

"You're right, I'm just touching you," Lucy said reassuringly.

"No. I mean I'm not feeling any pain from you touching me."

Lucy's eyes somehow managed to get even wider as her jaw dropped open in shock. "You're… not?" she whispered incredulously. "H-How?"

"You." It was the only reason he had, the only one he could give her. "What you said, what you did… Your soul… I felt it, Lucy. I can still feel it, and hear it."

Lucy carefully ran her fingers over the scars across his back, and he shivered again while taking a slow, deep breath. She slowly brought her other hand to his chest, watching in disbelief as he just stayed still and kept smiling at her. He didn't pull away from her, didn't show even a hint of discomfort. She felt every dip between the muscles on his stomach, traced the definition in the muscle that led to his boxers, and then slid her hand around him to join the other while she gently caressed his back. A wide smile spread across her face when he only trembled a little here and there, and she couldn't help but squeal and giggle while she pulled her hands back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She quickly pulled him flush against her before bringing her lips to his. "I'm so... proud of you... Sugar," she whispered between kisses.

Cobra chuckled and slowly brought his hand to her slender waist. It glided so effortlessly over her silky skin that he couldn't get enough of just touching her. Two years had been wasted because of his issues, and he wasn't willing to waste another second now that she could touch him.

Lucy moaned softly as her fingers threaded through Cobra's hair, and when they broke apart for air, she smirked at him and slowly rolled so that she was lying mostly on top of him. "My turn," Lucy rasped, feeling heat spreading through her at the thought of being able to show Cobra just how much pleasure he could experience now. "I want you to tell me if I need to stop for any reason, okay?"

Cobra slowly nodded while he looked up at Lucy. It was just like he had dreamed so many times before- that sensual gleam in her eyes, the way her hair fell in loose waves and framed her face so perfectly, that slow and seductive smile that spread across her plump lips. "Take it slow though…" he said, uncertainty lacing his voice, "It doesn't hurt when you touch me, but..."

Lucy smiled softly and nodded. "But you could still get freaked out. I know, Sugar. Years of fear aren't gonna go away in one night. I'll take care of you."

His breath caught in his throat as Lucy's leg slid over his so she was straddling him. He felt her hovering mere inches above his hips, and he itched to just grab her and start grinding her on his cock- to finally fully enjoy what she could make him feel. The only thing that stopped him from doing just that was hearing just what she wanted to do.

Lucy grinned and pulled both of Cobra's hands up to her lips. "Now... I can see you already know what I want to do," she rasped. Lucy kissed his knuckles and slid her lips down, making sure to skip over his scarred wrist when she felt him tense, "But half the fun is seeing how you react when I  _tell_  you what I want to do to you. Hearing what I'm thinking, and hearing me say it are two completely different things." As she slowly brought his hands to the pillow, lacing their fingers together in the process, Lucy lowered her head until she was only an inch away from Cobra's lips. She gently pulled his lower lip between her teeth, giggling softly when his breath stuttered, and whispered, "Every time I touch you, no matter where it is, I want you to feel just how much I love you. I'm going to make sure you never forget what it feels like to have my lips and hands on you, with no fear of being hurt." Lucy paused and her smile turned decidedly more devious while her eyes glimmered with dark and delicious promises. "And by the time I'm done with you... Neither of us will be able or willing to move. We've got quite some time to catch up on, and I plan on doing that  _tonight._ "

"Shit, Lucy," Cobra groaned. She was right. Hearing the sensual rasp to her voice was ten times more arousing than what he'd heard her thinking. He had been forced to hear the thoughts of plenty of guys concerning Lucy and the kind of woman they all thought she was in the bedroom, and every single one of them assumed that she would be sweet and innocent without a clue as to what to do. The only one he'd met that actually knew was Gajeel, but the Iron Slayer tended to only think about the fact that Lucy was very clearly not a good submissive- and that he should have known she would have an issue with him tying her up because of what he'd done to her in the past. When he focused on Lucy's thoughts, Cobra found that she was finally in her comfort zone. She liked taking the lead in the bedroom- which explained why she had seemed so embarrassed earlier, since she was quite literally putting everything in Cobra's hands to help him. Lucy had actual experience when it came to relationships and sex, while Cobra only had what he could hear. He was perfectly fine with letting her do what she pleased, simply because he could already tell he was going to enjoy it.

"So, Erik... You know what I've got planned. Where should I start?" Lucy asked. She let go of his hands and let her fingers dance along his arms as they made their way to his shoulders.

"You can start wherever you want, Lucy," he whispered breathlessly. The smile that spread across her face lit up the room, and Cobra took another deep breath to keep his anxiety at bay. He knew the slight tremble in his limbs wasn't entirely from his fear, but also from quite a bit of excitement. She was finally going to touch him everywhere they had both been aching for, and the fact that he'd made any progress towards the goal of being able to handle her touching him made him downright fucking giddy inside.

"Hmm," Lucy hummed in mock thought, nibbling her lower lip as she sat up and gazed longingly at every inch of exposed flesh set out before her, looking like the most scrumptious tanned buffet she could have ever asked for. "Well, I think that we should figure out what you like."

"What I like?" he asked softly.

Lucy nodded and said, "Your whole life, touch has been based on pain and fear. So, now that the pain is gone- and the fear will go along with it eventually- we should figure out where you like me touching you the most. What feels good, great, amazing, and even what you don't like. That way I know what gives you the most pleasure." When Cobra slowly nodded, she smiled down at him. "We'll start small with the places I've been able to touch you normally, and work our way up to newer areas. And I want you to be  _extremely_ honest with me, because this is about what  _you_  like. It's not about what I like doing right now, okay?"

"Why do I feel like you should be dressed up like a damn teacher?" Cobra grumbled as he looked at Lucy's naked body and pictured her wearing just that.

Lucy giggled softly. "Erik, is that something you'd like?" she teased. When Cobra rolled his eye, she turned serious and said earnestly, "I'm serious. Would that be something you'd want to try?"

Cobra blinked repeatedly, listening in yet again to make sure Lucy was talking about what he thought she was. Turns out, they were on the same page, and he couldn't decide if he was more turned on by the fact that she was offering something like that, or what she was imagining. "Definitely," he growled, smirking when Lucy's eyes flashed with lust and excitement. "I love how you think, Bright Eyes."

Lucy giggled and blushed, then said, "I'll keep that in mind, Sugar. But, for tonight, I'll be teaching you  _all_  about pleasure. It's the least I can do to repay you for earlier. I should have known you'd be a genius with your face between my legs."

Cobra chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's pretty easy to blow your mind when I can hear it." He took a shaky breath when Lucy's hands slowly moved up onto his neck. "Starting small, right?" he whispered.

"Yes, just from the neck up first," Lucy whispered tenderly. "If you're scared, or feel like you're going to panic, let me know. We'll slow down and get you relaxed again. Close your eye and just feel."

Cobra took another shaky breath and closed his eye while Lucy's slender fingers lightly trailed up the column of his throat. She had touched his face countless times before, but it had never been like this. Usually, she was doing it to help him relax after a long day or because he was trying to get used to her touching him. This time, with no phantom pain present, each and every tender caress was something new entirely. Across his jaw, her thumb brushing lightly over his lips, even lightly gliding over his forehead. It wasn't necessarily arousing, but the fact that he could feel her love in those small touches had a soft groan slipping past his lips.

Lucy smiled down happily at Cobra while she watched his face fall into a state of relaxation. She had wanted to start off with something simple that she knew he could handle to ease him into what was to come. The thought of being the first person to help Cobra discover just how much pleasure he could gain from being touched made her swell with happiness, and she was more than excited to find out just how to make him squirm in a  _good_  way.

Cobra sighed in contentment until her fingers brushed over the scar on his face. "I can hardly feel that." When Lucy paused for a moment, then kept brushing her fingers over his scar, he added, "I lost a lot of feeling there when I sacrificed my eye."

Lucy hummed softly in understanding, then slowly leaned down and gently kissed him. Cobra jumped at the unexpected contact, but he still kissed her back. "I'm sorry to hear that," she whispered as her lips moved up to the scar on his right eye. She pressed her lips to it over and over again, adding just a little more pressure than she would have otherwise to make sure he could feel it. Once she had reached the top of the scar, Lucy brushed down the length of his nose with her own and kissed the tip of it before continuing her exploration with her fingers.

"It was my choice, Lucy. Nothing to be sorry for," Cobra whispered, gasping and clenching his jaw when she started touching his ears. "Fuck…"

Lucy stopped moving with the tips of his pointed ears barely held between her fingers. "Everything alright?"

Cobra nodded quickly, and took a deep breath. "Yeah, just unexpected. Keep going." He let out a shuddering breath in an instant when Lucy traced down the shell of his ears. "D-Don't…  _Mmm..._  stop…" If he'd known it was possible to feel tension in his ears that travelled down to stall the breath in his throat, then maybe it wouldn't have been such a shock when it happened. She lightly massaged the lobes before moving back up to the tips of his ears again, and Cobra groaned softly in response.

Lucy grinned and whispered, "Looks like I've found the first spot, Erik. I always wondered if your ears were more sensitive to touch." She moved one hand into his hair, brushing her fingers through it while lowering her mouth to the now unattended ear. With her breath ghosting over it, she added, "Now that I know, we'll find out just what you like."

Cobra froze when her lips trailed over him, a different sort of shudder running through him that had nothing to do with how amazing it felt. "L-Lucy…"

"It's okay. I won't hurt you, Erik. I just want to make you feel good." Lucy pulled her hand from his hair and carefully laced her fingers with his, lightly circling the back of his hand with her thumb.

"No teeth… Please don't bite me…"

"Alright, no teeth." Her tongue darted out and slowly ran along the shell of his ear, and Lucy was rewarded with a surprised intake of air followed by a soft groan spilling from the man she loved. She did it again, teasing the piercing in his left ear for only a moment before pulling the lobe into her mouth.

" _Ahnnnn_ , Lucy…" Cobra moaned, squeezing her hand and hissing in pure pleasure when she started lightly sucking and rolling her tongue over the plump lobe, the sound of his earring knocking slightly against her teeth sending out small but powerful jolts of pleasure. When he heard a soft moan from her, it vibrated through him and shook something deep inside that had him flinching and pulling away from her. "Fuck!"

Lucy's head lifted only to see Cobra's eye was still clenched shut while he chewed on his lower lip- something he only did when he was thinking or starting to feel anxious. "Erik, are you alright?" When he furrowed his brow and squeezed her hand, Lucy whispered, "You pulled away, Sugar. Did I hurt you?"

Cobra looked down at Lucy and said, "No, it felt fucking amazing. Like... Too amazing...? I... I don't know..."

Lucy giggled softly while slowly stroking his cheek just under his scar. "That's normal. Lemme try again and we'll see if you do it a second time." Without waiting for an answer, Lucy leaned back in and pulled his earring back into her mouth. She internally grinned when Cobra moaned and lifted his free hand to her hair, pulling her closer to him. When she moaned again, and he gasped and pulled back, Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "It's when I make noise?"

Cobra nodded quickly, gulping and panting while he tried to figure out why he was pulling away from her when it felt so damn good.

"But it feels good, right?"

He nodded again. "Yeah," he whispered, groaning when Lucy dove back down and immediately moaned as her lips closed over the tip of his ear. "Fuck! Wh-what...  _Mmmmm_... What are..."

 _"If you pull away, just tell me good or bad. If it feels good, I'll keep going and you can get used to it. If you say it's bad, then I'll know to stop because it's not something you can handle just yet."_ She moaned again while moving down, then smirked and shifted so her lips were in the small dip just behind his ear.

"Holy fucking hell..." Cobra moaned as she started purring right behind his ear. Each small trill of her tongue sent a series of electrical currents rushing through him, flooding his whole body with the strangest rippling cadence of desire he'd ever experienced. His body was screaming that he needed to tear off his boxers and pin her to the bed, finally taking what they had both been denied for far too long, but he kept himself in place. The hand in her hair tightened as she kissed and licked her way across his jaw to tease the other ear, and Cobra's neck arched when her lips closed over him again. It was utterly astounding that something so simple, so minor in comparison to what he knew was coming, could set his whole body on fire the way this was.  _'If this is just my ears, what's it gonna be like when she's going down on-'_  Cobra gasped and growled when Lucy's teeth accidentally scraped over his ear. "Don't bite me," he panted.

" _Wasn't planning on it. Sorry about that."_ Lucy flattened her tongue and licked up the length of his ear, then pulled back only slightly and blew gently on the moistened skin. She had expected him to keep moaning, but instead Lucy cried out when his hand let go of hers, then shot down to her hip as he ground himself against her.

Cobra groaned loudly when he felt her naked core brushing over him through his boxers, and pulled her lips back to his ear while he forced her hips down again. "God, that's...  _Mmm-_  Oh, Lucy..." he panted, shivering as she started kissing her way down his throat.

She grinned against his neck, reaching down to lightly stroke his hand on her hip before pulling it up and propping herself up higher on her knees. "Good to see you're enjoying yourself, Sugar," she whispered tenderly.

He would never admit it, but Cobra whimpered at the loss of friction while he gave Lucy a pleading look. All she did was smile down at him before bringing her lips to his fingers. Her soft lips brushed back and forth across his fingertips, then she nuzzled his hand with her cheek.

"Ready for something new?" Lucy whispered as her lips moved down to the scar on his wrist.

Cobra's eye widened and he flinched, pulling his hand from her grasp just before her lips touched his scar. "Definitely not..." he said, self-consciously rubbing his hand over the scar she'd been about to touch. "N-Not there..."

"Erik, I won't hurt you. It's okay." Lucy slowly reached down and made sure her touch was light as a feather while she held his hand.

Cobra bit his lower lip while Lucy returned his hand to her cheek, then held his breath and clenched his eye shut when her fingers moved closer to his scar. His wrists had always been a source of his pain, and he fully believed that her touching them would actually hurt him even now. The only time Lucy had touched his wrist had been an accident, but the pain there was more intense than anywhere else. It always had been. He took several deep breaths, feeling them getting shallower by the second.

Lucy carefully pressed only the tips of her fingers to his scar where his pulse was racing against the pale flesh. "How does it feel, Erik?"

Cobra tensed when he felt himself getting ready to pull away from her. His teeth ground together, and he hissed in pain when they cut into his lower lip. The small droplet of blood he tasted brought back memories of the times he'd tried to stifle his cries by biting his lips only to cause more damage to his frail little body, and a small whimper crawled up his throat as he felt the beginning of that same anxiety-induced spiral out of control trying to take hold.

Lucy slid her fingers higher up on his arm so she wasn't touching his wrist, then leaned down and pressed her forehead to his. "Look at me, Sugar. It's just me, no one else." When Cobra didn't make any move to do as she said, Lucy leaned down and started teasing his ears again.

Cobra made a strangled noise in his throat, internally torn between what he'd experienced with his wrists and the magic Lucy was working on his ears. She kept her attention centered on his ears, and he finally groaned when Lucy lowered her hips until her sex was pressed tightly against him. "Fuck, Lucy... D-Do it now..."

It took her a moment to understand what Cobra was talking about, but once she did Lucy immediately complied. It seemed he needed something he was already comfortable with to let her continue. As long as it was helping him, Lucy didn't mind one bit.

With his mind otherwise preoccupied with just how amazing Lucy's lips and tongue were on his ear, and how warm and inviting her core was as she kept herself pressed against his arousal, Cobra was able to sit back and figure out whether he liked Lucy touching his scars or not. His hand quickly jerked away as if burned when her fingers circled over his pulse, and he barely managed to breathe out, "Good," to let her know to keep going. His wrist was tingling, a strange cold chill trailing behind her fingers while she kept up with her careful touches. It combatted the heat that spread through him from where Lucy was teasing his ear, so he slowly tilted her head to the side and shivered when she instantly switched to teasing his wrist with her lips and tongue.

"Mmm," Lucy hummed against his wrist, opening her eyes and grinning at Cobra's flushed face while she drew tight circles on him with only the tip of her tongue.  _"Don't look away,"_  she told him silently when his eyelid started sliding closed.  _"Watch what I'm doing, and tell me how it feels."_

Cobra nodded, his free hand gliding back and forth effortlessly over her waist and hip. "Weird," he whispered, "And cold." He watched as her tongue slowly dragged across the underside of his wrist, and felt the heat pouring off of that small pink muscle. Every one of her taste buds seemed to be more prominent as they moved over him, adding the tiniest extra bit of friction when he would otherwise have only felt a thin layer of moisture being spread on his skin. He shivered when Lucy slowly breathed out, the heat quickly soaking into his wrist and up his arm.

Lucy moved so slowly, so tenderly, over his scar that Cobra was able to feel her love for him through it. His wrists had always been at the root of his pain and fear, the shackles that had brought about years of misery for him branded into his flesh forever. The physical pieces of metal were long gone now- having been destroyed by Cobra himself before they tried to enact Real Nightmare- but the beautiful blonde was slowly breaking those internal shackles that had kept him from feeling like this. He hadn't thought of the anxiety he had as shackles before that moment, but that was exactly what it was. He had been bound to solitude, never knowing what the touch of another could feel like because of it. His fear and the phantom pain he experienced, the flashbacks, everything had kept him tethered tightly to his past no matter how badly he had wanted to move on from it.

A series of short butterfly kisses across the top of his wrist. A sweet smile pulling at the corners of her lips. He never knew it could be this way. Cobra had never even considered it to be a possibility that Lucy would not only be willing to touch the product of his years of torment, but shower the deformed flesh with so much affection and adoration. Her soul was singing the sweetest sort of lullaby right then, so soft and soothing that he couldn't help but smile just a little. Lucy always had a way of bringing utter tranquility to his usually racing mind. With his ability to hear the souls of everyone around him, Cobra only knew this sort of peace when he was all alone and miles from civilization. She always seemed to surprise him with just how deep and multi-faceted her soul was, how clearly it connected with what she said or thought. He wished that he could have that same sort of clarity for himself, to wholeheartedly accept what had happened and move on from it like she had done so many times in her own life. His other hand came up to brush her hair behind her ear, then he gently cupped her face in both hands and brought her lips to his.

"Everything okay, Sugar?" Lucy whispered, wondering what could possibly be going through Cobra's head that he would smile at her that way.

"Yeah, Bright Eyes. I just  _really_ fucking love you." His smile widened when Lucy blushed, her soul practically soaring into the heavens with glee while her heart picked up in speed just a little. "Touch them any time you want to, okay?" he asked, chuckling when Lucy's ecstatic and love-filled inner monologue died in an instant while her mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm serious. Doesn't matter where we are, I know you'll never hurt my wrists... And... It might even help me relax."

"R-Really?" she stuttered, her eyes wide and hopeful. "Any time?"

"Yep," Cobra answered happily. There wasn't any of the pain he had feared when she touched his wrists. They were definitely sensitive, but not painfully so when Lucy touched them. He always knew they were sensitive based on how irritating the cloth of his sleeves felt while brushing over them, or how he had to make sure to use his hands to clean them in the shower instead of a washcloth. He'd always found it strange that the sensitivity in his wrists had increased when there was so much scar tissue built up from over the years, but now... Now, he was glad for it. "I might still jump at first, but... It's okay to touch them."

Lucy beamed with a brilliance that could rival the sun and kissed him fiercely, moaning when she tasted just a hint of the blood he'd drawn when he was starting to let his anxiety get the best of him. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth, pulling every last drop of the crimson liquid from the small punctures as her hands tangled in his hair. The small tang of copper was filled with something she could only pin one word to: Erik. It was unique, strange, and nearly left her tongue sizzling while causing a slight burn to tingle the back of her throat. She plunged into his mouth without preamble to soothe the burning sensation on her tongue, moaning when he met her in a wild battle for dominance.

Cobra groaned when her back arched, pressing her bare and perfect breasts into his chest, then followed right along with her while she sat up in his lap. He needed to feel her beneath his hands, every soft and supple curve of her body that she had so willingly bared just for him. He tensed slightly when her hands slid down over his shoulders and onto the scars on his back, but focused on how her soul was singing to get past the initial shock and that small bit of anxiety that still showed up.

Lucy squeaked and pulled her head back when Cobra growled and bit into her lower lip, thinking that maybe he'd been trying to make her stop touching him. His eye followed her tongue as it darted out to feel the place he'd bitten, and she tasted her own blood mixing with his on her tongue.

Cobra growled again and forced her head back down, roughly pulling her lower lip into his mouth and shuddering when he tasted the sweet essence that beaded at the surface of the tiny punctures he'd left. His arms barred across her waist while he rocked his hips, a guttural moan spilling from both of them. "Fuck, I want you so bad, Lucy..."

"Right there with you, Sugar," she rasped against his lips. "But not yet..."

"Why n- Oh, fuck... You're kidding me!" Cobra pulled back with his deep purple eye wide as he gaped at what she wanted to do. "You're pure fucking evil, you know that?"

Lucy giggled and nodded, her hair bouncing slightly. "But that's what you love the most about me, Erik," she said sweetly. "I recall you saying something along the lines of..." She paused and closed her right eye, then did her best impression of Cobra's cocky smirk as she said, "'Lucy, you're twice as fucked in the head as I am, and that's saying something.'"

Cobra chuckled at her impression of him only to stop and gape at her when she cleared her throat to try and emulate his voice as her memory of what he'd said filtered into his head.

"'It's hot as  _fuck_ , Bright Eyes.'" She leaned in close, just like he had done that day a few months back, and continued as her lips hovered over his. "'You're the kind of crazy…'" She moved her hands over the tops of his shoulders, then slowly started tracing every sculpted muscle on his chest and stomach, paying special attention to the few scars he had there. "'... That I can't get enough of...'"

Cobra shuddered and watched as Lucy's eye slowly opened, then nearly whimpered when she pulled those delectable lips away from him without even a small taste of her again. "That's a damn good impression, Lucy."

Lucy grinned at him while slowly crawling backwards off of his lap and kneeling between his legs. "Didn't you know? I've been practicing that since you joined the guild. I needed something to pass the time." She leaned around Cobra and grabbed her pillow, then stacked it on top of his before nudging him backwards against the headboard.

"What, are you planning on feeding me grapes next?" Cobra chuckled.

"No, I plan on making sure you  _watch_ what I'm doing."

"U-Um… Wha… Why…?" Cobra gulped and reflexively closed his eye when Lucy leaned down and started to kiss and lick his chest. Her hands massaged his thighs, moving from the bottom hem of his boxers down to his knees and back, and he leaned back against the pillows while softly moaning her name. He jolted when her lips closed over his nipple and waited all of two seconds before pulling her head away from him. "Nope, don't like it."

"You're kidding, right?" Lucy asked.

"No. That's fucking weird… And not a good weird."

Lucy opened her mouth to argue that he should give it a fair shot, then stopped. Cobra was blatantly telling her that he didn't like having his nipples teased. While she'd never met a man that hadn't liked it, this wasn't just any man. "Mmkay," she said with a sweet smile. "Moving on then."

Cobra groaned and watched as she continued her journey down onto his stomach, her tongue circling his navel in faster and faster circles until he realized that both of her hands had moved up to his hips. "Shit," he hissed, tensing in anticipation when the tips of Lucy's fingers just barely pushed under the band of his boxers. The closer she got to her destination, the more fire washed over Cobra. He felt like he'd been thrown dick first into a fiery monsoon of lust, the waves in his soul mirroring the ones in Lucy's perfectly while he struggled to find air for his lungs. Inch by devastatingly slow inch, Lucy pulled his boxers down and kissed every bit of flesh that was revealed, only adding to the heat that flashed through him again and again.

"Okay, Sugar. You've gotta trust me," Lucy whispered before closing her lips over the skin just under his navel and roughly sucking it into her mouth. She gasped as Cobra fisted his hands in her hair and pulled her away from him with a low and terrifying growl, her eyes widening when she saw a feral snarl pulling at his upper lip. "S-Sugar?" Lucy whispered carefully.

" _Really_  fucking good." Cobra looked down at the small darkened spot on his flesh. Some part of him marveled at its existence, how Lucy had marked him in her own way without causing him any pain, and he craved more of it. He wanted her to do it again, to make a larger and more noticeable mark that didn't cause him any pain; he wanted a mark from pure pleasure. With another growl that even left goosebumps on  _his_  skin, Cobra pulled her head down to his hip and groaned loudly when Lucy latched onto him. "Shit, Lucy…  _Nnnghh_ … J-Just like that…"

Lucy slowly lifted her head and looked up at Cobra's face to see his eye trained on the exceptionally dark hickey she had given him. She grinned as she moved lower, hovering over the very prominent tent he'd pitched in his boxers, and breathily crooned, "Erikkk…"

Cobra growled again when his gaze shot to Lucy, feeling her hot breath dancing over his cock and making it twitch excitedly. "Fuck… W-Wait…" he panted, tensing as Lucy paused in her slow descent to wrap her lips around him through his boxers. "Shit… Y-You're fucking teeth… I…"

Lucy frowned and sat up on her knees, pulling his hands from her hair and gently running her thumbs over his wrists. "Erik, I won't bite you," she whispered soothingly. "I only want to make you feel good."

Cobra shook his head quickly. "It's not that… I… Just…" He sighed in frustration. He knew it would feel amazing since everything Lucy did with that sexy little mouth of hers could bring him to his knees in an instant. He just honestly had no idea what to expect, and that alone was apparently enough to make him lock up. It wasn't a fear of being touched at this point as much as it was uncertainty over the unknown. This was entirely new territory for him, and the fact that he had no idea what it was like for someone else to please him through touch before that day had him feeling like a fish out of water. There was, of course, still his body's learned reaction to anticipated pain, and the small part of his mind that liked to remind him of the pain he'd experienced for so long. What if her teeth accidentally touched him? Would it hurt like that part of him was screaming it would? "Fuck, I hate this..." he grumbled, taking a shaky breath and running a hand over his face.

"So help me understand, and maybe I can help, Sugar. We can stop right now and I'll be perfectly fine with it. You've done an amazing job tonight."

Cobra sighed and pulled Lucy to him, laying her head on his chest just over his racing heart. As he nestled his nose in her hair, taking in the sweet vanilla scent that always made him feel a little more relaxed, he said, "I don't know what to expect... And..." He paused and listened while she quickly figured out what the issue was, then sighed again."Yep... Pretty damn pathetic..."

Lucy smiled and adjusted so she wasn't being stabbed in the ribs so insistently by his arousal, then laced her fingers with his on one hand. Her lips and nose brushed over his wrist gently, and the resulting hum of contentment she heard made Lucy's heart flutter happily that she could help him relax. "Well," she whispered, "I can't be exact, Sugar. But in general, you'll feel like you want to thrust into my mouth. It's different with every guy. You might feel a tingling-"

Cobra chuckled and shook his head. "Lucy, I'm a guy. I know what it feels like when I'm about to cum. What the hell do you think I did when no one was around while I was in prison? I sure as shit wasn't figuring out fucking time travelling."

Lucy giggled and rolled her eyes, then turned her head to lightly kiss his chest. "No, I guess that was Future Rogue, huh? "

Cobra frowned and kissed her hair when there was a nearly non-existent spike of fear and sorrow that washed over her at the memory of that night. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it- like usual- so he let it go for now.

"Then I guess it would be kinda like spitting in your hand and jerking off, but better. No calluses, there's a tongue involved, more moisture and heat... That kinda thing."

"I figured that much out already, Bright Eyes."

Lucy narrowed her eyes curiously and looked up at him. "Erik, what did you think about to get going? I don't think I'd be able to manage that at  _all_."

"You mean before we got together?" Cobra asked, smirking at just how inquisitive Lucy could be. When she nodded with a small blush, he deadpanned, "Tits."

Lucy rolled her eyes again when he smirked at her. "Be a little more specific, Erik."

" _Your_  tits," Cobra growled seductively.

Lucy raised her eyebrow. " _Before_  we got together. While you were in prison."

A devastatingly devious grin parted his lips "Like I said, your tits."

Lucy blinked repeatedly. "Huh?"

Cobra shook his head, then kissed Lucy's forehead. "When the Clock was absorbing you... It pulled your hands and legs in first. I got a great view of your rack before I had to head out. A perfect soul like yours with gorgeous fucking tits. I'd be crazy  _not_  to think about that."

With a deep blush, Lucy kissed his chest again. "And before that?"

"Tits in general, Lucy," he chuckled, sighing when she peppered his wrist and forearm with small, tender kisses.

 _'Man, he was thinking about me for a while,'_  Lucy thought. It had been only a few months after he'd gotten locked up that Future Rogue had brought the dragons out to wreak havoc on Earthland, and she'd heard that he was temporarily given an emergency probation to help in the fight. After that, Cobra had been locked up for another two and a half years before he and the rest of the Reborn Oracion Seis were finally officially released. Cobra, Midnight, and Sawyer had immediately made their way to Fairy Tail after that.

"Why do you think I only waited a few months after joining the guild to ask you out?"

Lucy gasped in feigned offense and narrowed her eyes playfully. "So, you really asked me out because of my tits? Such a romantic, Erik." Lucy turned to look at him and stuck out her tongue, squeaking when Cobra gently grabbed it between his thumb and forefinger.

"No. I couldn't get your soul out of my head, even when I tried. When the guys said they were gonna join Fairy Tail, they dragged my ass along because they knew I'd just become a damn hermit if they didn't." He let her tongue go and slowly ran his thumb across her cheek, his voice softening as he continued. "And then I saw you, and I heard your soul again. Instead of it getting all clogged up with you trying to save yourself, I got to hear it when you were happy. I saw your smile, heard your laugh, and figured out really fucking quick that I was gonna lose my mind if I didn't at least  _try_  to get to know you. So, when  _you_ walked up to  _me_ to start a conversation, and I found out just how fucking perfect you are..."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat when he tilted her head back and tenderly pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered open just in time to catch the astoundingly open expression of happiness on Cobra's face that she usually missed when they kissed.

"I asked you out because you're a fighter like me, except no one sees it. You're compassionate, sweet, funny, sarcastic, smart as hell, and yes... I fucking  _adore_  your tits. It's not like I ever thought I'd have the chance to do anything with you in the first place- since I couldn't handle being touched, and I figured you'd get tired of not being able to do that- and you surprised the shit out of me when you said yes to that first date without a single thought on the matter. It's been you ever since day one, Lucy. You, that perfect as hell soul you're sporting, and the nicest tits I've ever seen in my life."

Lucy's blush deepened and she was left utterly speechless. Cobra wasn't always Mr. Talkative when it came to what happened before he joined Fairy Tail, and she had never had someone so openly admitting to liking her chest. "W-Well..."

Cobra chuckled and kissed her softly. "I love making you speechless, y'know..." he whispered against her lips.

Lucy smiled into the kiss and brushed her nose along his when they separated. "I know you do, Sugar. Now, how about I help you relax a little concerning your dick in my mouth?"

Cobra visibly shivered when her soul started humming at a lower octave than he'd known possible, and watched as Lucy pulled his hand to her mouth. She kissed the scar around his wrist slowly, and took her time moving down to his fingers. "Holy shit," he moaned breathlessly as she circled the tips of his middle and forefinger with her tongue. He felt himself getting even harder at the thought of his cock disappearing between the plump lips that were currently closing around his fingers, and his breath stuttered when her tongue flicked quickly over those lucky digits.

Lucy hummed and slowly sucked them further into her mouth, keeping a close eye on Cobra to make sure he was okay. His gaze was trained on her lips, and she smiled around his fingers when they slightly flexed as she pulled back, her tongue curling up to meet them more firmly. "How does it feel, Sugar?" Lucy rasped before taking them into her mouth again until her lips met his hand.

"Like I really need your mouth on my cock," Cobra groaned. He shivered again when Lucy's hands splayed across his stomach and slid down to the lowered band of his boxers, then lifted his hips so she could pull them down while she moved from between his legs and kept her eyes locked on his. The cooler air of the room disappeared as heat flooded through him when the last piece of his clothing was thrown across the room, and a deep flush settled over his face when Lucy withdrew his fingers and hungrily raked her eyes over him.

_'Oh, holy fuck... Two years of no sex is definitely worth it if I get to have this inside of me... It's... Wow... Fuck, I'm actually drooling... Oh, I don't even care. This is totally drool-worthy!'_

"Good to know," Cobra chuckled when Lucy dazedly looked up from his crotch to meet his gaze again. "Pretty sure your head is about to explode, Bright Eyes."

Lucy nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah..." she whispered absently. She took in every perfectly sculpted muscle from his arms to his chest and stomach, then down to his legs. With a seductive and sensual smile spreading across her lips, Lucy crawled between his legs again and ran her hands up over his chest until she was gently cupping his cheeks. "Definitely..."

Cobra groaned when Lucy dove down and pulled his lower lip into her mouth, his hands shooting up to freely roam over her silky skin. He gasped and growled when her teeth lightly nipped at him, but he couldn't dwell on it once Lucy's tongue plunged into his mouth while she overwhelmed him with sensation. She massaged her way down his chest, moaning softly as their tongues battled. He grabbed her ass and squeezed before pulling her flush against him, growling again when her naked flesh trapped his straining member between them. He instantly needed to feel more friction, to have Lucy feel just what she did to him, and rocked his hips slowly.

Cobra broke away from Lucy's searing kiss with a moan, his whole body quaking as that small bit of pleasure burst through him. His nerves lit up wildly, making him feel more alive than ever, and before he knew it Lucy's hand was reaching between them and closing over his shaft.

"I can tell you right now, we're not gonna figure out everything you like tonight," Lucy whispered softly. "I'm very curious to see whether or not you like watching me touch myself, but-"

After only one stroke, Cobra pulled her back in and kissed her with everything he was worth. His hands moved to tease her breasts, pinching and pulling at her nipples to make her moan and writhe above him as her hand lightly squeezed his cock.

 _"Tonight is about me touching you... And I'm only just getting started..."_  Long slow strokes over him paired with what Cobra was doing to get Lucy even more turned on had a long moan ripping from her throat.

"Hell yes," Cobra growled as Lucy leaned forward and flicked her tongue over his earring. "Wouldn't last...  _Mmm_... Long though... You won't need to touch yourself... while I'm around."

Her thumb swiped the moisture that beaded at the tip, and she spread it over him while moving just a little faster. "Just go with your gut, Sugar," she whispered hotly in his ear, grinning when he moaned louder, "I'll tell you if it's something I can't do..." Once he started thrusting into her hand, Lucy tore herself from his grasp and dropped her head to his lap, instantly closing her lips around him.

"Fuck!" Cobra shouted, his eye clamping shut when she started slowly taking him into her mouth. His hands fisted in the comforter beneath him as more and more of his cock disappeared into her wet cavern, and he was lost to the world while he just let himself get swept away by the new sensation.

Lucy glanced up to see Cobra's face contorted into an expression of pure pleasure, and she grasped the base of his shaft when she realized that she couldn't take all of him into her mouth comfortably. The sheer size of him was intimidating when she first saw it. He was a little above average in length, but thicker than anyone she'd been with, and Lucy knew her jaw was going to be sore with just how far she had to open her mouth to take him as far as possible. She pulled back and let him go with a small pop while she waited for his eye to open, then grinned and let only her tongue tease his flared head.

"Shit, Lucy!  _Mmmnnaahh_!' Cobra panted and groaned while he watched her, feeling her tongue leave a path of fire in its wake as she licked every inch of his throbbing manhood.

He wasn't worried about her teeth now that she was teasing him so thoroughly. Instead, all he could focus on was just how fucking wonderful everything felt, the way her soul sounded, how hot it was to see just what she was doing to him, and how sexy the blonde vixen was while she kneeled on the bed with her face in his lap. His hands shot to her hair when the tip of her tongue drew tight circles over his head, and he roughly pushed her down with a loud groan.

"Oh,  _fuck_!" he growled, hearing her silent plea to show her how he wanted her to move. "I love you..." His grip on her hair tightened as he pulled her back, then slammed her down again until he hit the back of her throat. Once she realized just how rough he wanted it and started moving faster and harder on her own, Cobra's head thudded loudly against the headboard while he let her take over. "Oh... O-Oh god...  _Yes!_ "

Lucy felt tears pricking her eyes when she forced herself to push him into her throat, and pulled up when she gagged. The noises he was making were more than worth a little discomfort, so she dove down again and again as his shaft hardened even further.  _"I want your cum in my mouth, Erik. Let me taste you..."_

The air left his lungs in a rush when he heard her, and he looked down at Lucy in shock while he listened to her soul singing that sensual song he was becoming addicted to. She didn't stop moving while he sat there frozen, and he could feel just how close he already was to cumming. She'd been right, this felt a whole hell of a lot better than his hand. The way her lips wrapped around him and made sure to cover her teeth so he wouldn't get freaked out; her tongue pushing against the underside of his shaft with different amounts of pressure, creating wave after wave of varying friction to bring him right to the edge; how her head tilted only slightly to change how it felt when she took him in again; and then the way she added suction to the overwhelming feelings stirring within him. Everything Lucy did left him more and more breathless. And now she  _wanted_  him to finish off in her mouth.

"Fuck… Fuck, fuck, fuck! L-Lucy…" he panted when he finally found the ability to breathe. "M-More!"

Lucy moaned around him and massaged his inner thigh with her free hand, moving up until she was lightly cupping his sac. He flinched at the contact, and she moaned again.  _"That's it, Erik… I can feel just how ready you are. You're so hard. Fuck, I wanna taste you so bad…"_

His body tensed in a completely different way while she kept silently speaking to him. Even hearing her that way, Lucy still sounded just as sexy as she did while speaking out loud. There was a needy rasp to her thoughts, and he knew just a few more plunges into her hot mouth would be the end of it for him. It didn't matter to him if they needed to wait a few minutes for him to recover so he could finally fuck her brains right out of that pretty little head of hers, so he started thrusting urgently while holding her head in place.

The way her soul had been singing suddenly changed, causing him to gasp and move faster. Instead of a soft lullaby, crashing waves, or even the sensual humming sound it made... Lucy's soul growled like a wild beast. It vibrated and grew more predatory with each violent thrust, and Cobra couldn't help the growl that left him in response. The pressure in his shaft was begging to be eased, that tingling sensation in his spine coursing through his whole being. "Y-Yes! I-I'm… Oh g- Lucy, I'm…"

She intentionally moved her lips and let her teeth lightly graze his head, shivering when the snarl he let loose turned into the most erotic roar of ecstasy she had ever heard as his balls drew up and she tasted the first violent shot of his release.  _"Erik… it's… Mmm, you taste so good…"_  She sucked in time with each pulse, letting it all collect in her mouth while she watched his flushed face for every single reaction he couldn't even begin to keep hidden.

Cobra's hips jerked slightly with each pulse of his climax, and he could feel some of what was in Lucy's mouth coating him as he groaned. He shuddered when she softly moaned around him, and then watched in amazement when she swallowed every last drop, even taking extra care in sucking any trace of his climax from his still rigid shaft.

Lucy lifted her head and licked her lips while her eyes danced with lust. She slowly started kissing her way up his stomach and chest, marveling at the way her tongue had gone slightly numb once she tasted him, then squeaked when she was tackled to the bed. "What-"

Cobra growled low in his throat as he slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue roughly pushing past her barely parted lips. The sight of her swallowing his release had him staying hard as hell and wanting more. Once she had tasted it, the growling sound her soul was making turned into pure white noise. He'd been startled in his sluggish euphoric state by the noise until the same loud purring he'd heard when she had kissed his chest and opened her soul up to him came back full force. It shattered any remains of his ability to let her do as she pleased, hearing just how happy and in love she was with him.

Lucy whimpered against Cobra's mouth as she tried in vain to dominate the kiss, feeling just how hard he was as his member laid heavily against her inner thigh. "How the hell... Are you... Still hard?" she asked, trying to pull back enough to speak and grinning as Cobra followed her every move.

"I fucking  _need_  you," he growled, nipping at the barely dried blood on her lower lip and instantly sucking on the reopened wounds. "Please, Lucy..." He dove back in, kissing her more urgently. He loved how no matter what he did, he could taste himself on her tongue, and swelled with pride over how she had reacted to tasting him- with both the way his release tasted and the effect it had on her. He already knew the reason for the slight numbness in her tongue, but decided to let Lucy figure it out on her own; he always loved hearing her work out problems in her head, and was curious to see how long it took for her to figure out that it was because there was the faintest hint of poison coursing through his body. The burning sensation she'd felt when his blood was in her mouth was just a different effect of that same poison, but he already knew she wouldn't have anything to worry about concerning her health, since he wasn't intentionally adding anything that could harm her.

Lucy roughly grabbed his hair, pulling him away so she could look into his eye. "I'm all yours, Erik," she rasped, "I always have been." She smiled softly up at him when he paused to look at her- knowing by the slightly distant look in his eye that she had surprised him, and that he was intently listening to her soul again.

"Fuck," Cobra whispered incredulously as he focused on her smiling face again, "You really are perfect, Lucy..." That intense need didn't diminish in the slightest, but he suddenly couldn't move. She wasn't keeping anything from him now, letting her soul stay open so he could hear everything. It was perfection incarnate, expertly harmonized with layer upon layer of blended sounds that left no room for dissonance. She fully believed she had always been his, and that anything they had done in the past- her old relationships and his evil deeds- was insignificant in comparison to the feelings he evoked in her.

Lucy giggled and blushed, then whispered, "And you deserve every bit of the love I have for you, Sugar." The grin that spread across Cobra's face was so filled with joy that Lucy was left breathless, and she stayed in that same state until his head dipped to tenderly press their lips together.

Cobra groaned when Lucy suddenly became a ravenous beast, her legs locking around his hips and her back arching into him as she forced the last bit of space between them to disappear. Just when he thought he knew everything he possibly could about her, Lucy surprised him yet again. Gone was his sweet and innocent girlfriend with her soft smiles and adorable blushes, and in her place was a purely single-minded vixen that was hellbent on turning  _both_  of them into little more than a limp and whimpering pile of fully sated limbs.

Lucy's legs flexed and forced Cobra's arousal to slide against her sex, and that was all it took for him to attack her just as fiercely. He was just as starved for this as she was, and roughly palmed her breast while he kept teasing her by rocking his hips so she could feel every inch of what was about to fill her. He would be a liar if he said he wasn't nervous. Lucy had done this before, while he was going based on what he had heard, what he'd imagined over the years, or what his gut told him to do.

He couldn't believe just how soaked she already was, and that was when he realized that Lucy had been thoroughly aroused the entire time she was touching him. He had been so focused on what she was doing at the time that he hadn't even smelled just how much it was turning her on to simply touch him. When her hands slid down from his hair to the scars on his back, Cobra barely flinched. He was too consumed with the havoc Lucy was wreaking on him with her lips to pay attention to it. He finally found the ability to pull away from her lips only to groan when she latched onto his chest and roughly sucked the skin into her mouth.

"Erik, I want you..."

"Fuck," he groaned softly, shuddering when her teeth lightly dragged over him before she moved up to nibble on his ear. He took a shaky breath and glanced over at the nightstand, feeling as though the damn mahogany bastard was mocking him as it stood less than a foot away from the bed. "Hold that thought," he said as he pulled away and leaned over to open the top drawer of the nightstand. If there was ever a time he was going to be thankful to some higher power, it was right then as his fingers closed over one foil packet. He grunted as Lucy dragged him back over her, slamming his lips over hers.

"Now," Lucy moaned softly before Cobra growled and pulled away to sit back on his heels. She was desperate for him in a way she'd never known possible. If there had been any doubt in her mind before about her feelings for the Poison Slayer, this moment would have dissuaded it in an instant. Lucy had been with a few guys, but none of them had ever made her feel this way, as if the only way for her to keep breathing was to be filled and fucked for hours on end. Lucy's eyes closed while she tried to calm herself down even a little. She knew that this was probably a little nerve-wracking for Cobra, as the first time for anyone usually was, and she wanted to make sure he was alright before they pushed him too far from not thinking clearly.

"Nah, just keep thinking about me fucking your for hours," Cobra whispered with a smirk. She was right though. He was nervous. Not over flipping his shit and having a panic attack, but just from the thought of not being what Lucy wants or needs in the bedroom. Feeling his nerves getting the better of him, Cobra silently took a deep breath and grasped one corner of the condom wrapper, then pulled.

Nothing happened.

He narrowed his eye and pulled again, then shook his trembling hands and tried one last time. "Who the fuck sealed this thing? It's not holding Fiore's goddamn secrets…" he grumbled to himself.

Lucy's eyes slid open only to see Cobra glaring at the unopened foil packet. She giggled and sat up, placing her hands over his. "Here, Sugar. Lemme do it," she whispered, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise when she watched him try to tear the thing open with all of the strength he could muster in his visibly shaking hands… only for it to stay closed.

Cobra sighed and rolled his eye at her, then handed the condom over. "Good luck with that fucking thing. It's obvious the goddamn devil is in there, just waiting to suck out my fucking soul… Probably why it's not opening…"

Lucy giggled again and tore at the packet the same way she had done over two years ago.

Nothing happened.

"You're fucking kidding me…" Lucy whispered incredulously. She tried again, only to get the same result. "Fuck this…"

Cobra's eye widened when he saw Lucy put the wrapper to her lips. Those plump little lips pulled back in what had to be the sexiest sneer he'd ever seen, baring her pearly white teeth that violently bit down on the wrapper. She wrenched her head one way while pulling in the opposite direction with her hand, and the nearly pristine packet fell slowly to the bed between them. "It's fucking evil, Lucy… Pure fucking evil."

Lucy glared at the condom, weighing pros and cons in her head quickly while thinking,  _'Stupid son of a bitch. Maybe if your mom wasn't whoring around you'd be able to open the fuck up! Asshole foil and your stupid fucking ridiculously high tensile strength!'_

Cobra gaped at Lucy while she slowly picked the wrapper up from the bed, looking at it as though it was the bane of her very existence. Hearing her berating things was definitely one of his favorite pastimes, simply because of just how inventive she was and the extent of her vocabulary. Interestingly though, the mention of 'tensile strength' had Cobra's cock twitching excitedly. He couldn't help the fact that he  _really_ loved chicks with tits and a brain.

Lucy tried to rip the condom open one last time, staring incredulously at the wrapper and wondering if she'd lost her mind.  _'What sick, twisted bastard would cockblock this fucking hard?! Karma, that's who... Well, you filthy rat fuck, you can suck it!'_

Cobra watched on as Lucy's mind spiralled into the most inventive string of curses he'd ever heard while she huffed and threw the condom across the room. Well, it  _would_ have been across the room if there was any actual weight to the thing; instead it seemed to just spit in their faces as it fluttered to the ground just off the edge of the bed. "Well, that was a bit anticlimactic," he chuckled, only to squawk uncharacteristically when he was roughly pulled back down on top of her.

Lucy moaned once his weight was settled between her thighs again, and licked up the column of his throat before pulling him into a steamy kiss. She couldn't take it any longer, and had decided that the pros far outweighed the cons of just going au naturale- then again, the pros may have been a little biased. She wasn't going to wait any longer, and the only thing that would stop her from feeling every glorious inch of Cobra filling her was if he said to stop. Otherwise, come hell, high water, or demonic condom wrappers, Lucy would ride her sexy ass Slayer into the ground and love every second of it.

Cobra gasped and shuddered when Lucy reached between them to start rubbing the head of his cock against her dripping sex. "Lucy, what are-"

"I need you, Erik. I need you in me so goddamn bad it hurts," Lucy moaned, whimpering when he pulled away only slightly. "We don't need it this time, sugar. It's fine."

"What if…" Cobra paused and bit his lip when he felt himself prodding her entrance only for Lucy to readjust his length to keep teasing them both. "What if it's too much… I-I could…"

Lucy leaned up and nibbled on his earring, then hotly whispered, "You were just fine fucking my mouth, Sugar. My snatch can't bite you like my mouth could, so there's even less reason to worry." She grinned when Cobra stifled a moan, then added, "Don't you wanna fuck me, Erik?"

"God yes," Cobra growled.

Lucy lined him up at her entrance and slowly stroked his shaft. "Then do it, sugar," she rasped, laying her head back down on the pillow to look into his indigo eye, "You can take your time, and make sure you're okay. I'm on the pill, so just this once should be fine."

Cobra hemmed and hawed for all of five seconds before slowly lowering his head and brushing his nose along hers. "I love you, Lucy."

"I love you too, Erik," she whispered happily, gasping and tightly gripping Cobra's shoulders when he eased into her. "O-Oh, fuck…"

Cobra groaned as he felt himself being slowly enveloped in her heat. He paused when only his head was sheathed in her, and shivered when the nervousness of not being able to please her left him. It was finally happening. He knew that he'd find a way to make her forget about anyone else she had ever been with, and that he'd ensure there would be no comparison possible. There wasn't any reason for him to worry or be afraid, because Lucy loved him and always made sure to take care of him when he needed it. He pushed a little further and gasped at how her velvety walls rippled around him. This was what he'd been denied for so long because of his fear, and oddly enough part of him was glad that he'd been forced to wait this long simply because now he could share this first experience with the woman he loved.

Small strokes pushed him deeper and deeper, and Lucy's sex clenched tightly around him once he was fully sheathed. Cobra stayed in place, just letting her soul's singing fill him from head to toe. Everything he'd heard from her that night- the waves, lightning, and fire of her desire, the hungry animalistic growl that accompanied her wilder side, the lilting lullaby that showed him her happiness, and the tender purring noise that was her love for him- it all swirled together in the most wonderful symphony he'd ever heard and only increased how perfect this was. If there was ever a time he wished he had a camera, it would be right then so he could capture the look on Lucy's face. She was awash in pleasure with a deep flush across her cheeks, lust-darkened mocha eyes, and barely parted lips. Cobra couldn't bring himself to move just yet, knowing that she still needed time to adjust. It was something he was sure he should be proud of, but he honestly didn't give a shit how big his dick was. What he cared about was Lucy, and as long as she was happy, then so was he.

"Go ahead, sugar," Lucy whispered tenderly. Her hands slid up from his shoulders to gently cup his cheeks, and she leaned up to press her lips to his. "Make love to me."

Cobra was about to do just as she'd asked, but those last four words gave him just a moment's hesitation. He felt his heart thudding loudly in his chest at the thought of not just fucking Lucy, but showing her just how deep his love for her ran. He could hear her soul, so he had an advantage when it came to knowing about Lucy's true feelings. Before they had left the guild in a rush after her song had been the first time in the two years they had been together that he'd ever actually  _told_  her he loved her. He wasn't sure exactly why he'd never said it before, because if anyone deserved to hear just how deeply he cared for them, it was Lucy. He slowly withdrew, moaning as her dripping sex tried in vain to pull him back in, then whispered, "Always will, Bright Eyes."

Cobra's pace was slow, tentative, and extremely careful as he started to move, and Lucy moaned while closing the distance between them and kissed him just as gently as the moment called for. It wasn't frantic or roiling with lustful need; although, she knew that was lying in wait as he gained more confidence. No, this was the first time she'd ever had someone take such special care to ensure she felt every bit of pleasure they could give her. Every solid inch of him filled her, and Lucy gasped when his hips rocked to push him just a little deeper than before. It wasn't just Cobra losing his virginity, but it was also the first time either of them were experiencing just how soul-shaking it was to make love to someone. The next time he was buried in her, Lucy rolled her hips and her eyes rolled back while a long moan burst from her.

"Fuck, Lucy," Cobra groaned softly, moving just a little faster. How he'd been able to go this long without feeling Lucy's body rubbing against him like this was beyond him at that point. Sure, he'd been terrified of being touched because it had always been associated with pain, but now that he was doing this with her, he felt like an idiot for keeping such an intense amount of pleasure from them both.

"E-Erik," Lucy whimpered against his lips, feeling heat already coursing through her while the coil in her belly wound itself up. They had barely even started, and she was already on the edge of her release. Her skin was tingling, heightening every slow, deep thrust, every sensation until she was arching back as her orgasm crashed through her like a freight train.

Cobra paused and growled when he felt her sex spasming around his shaft. He lowered his lips to her neck and lightly grazed her flesh with his teeth while one hand shakily slid over her waist to palm her breast. Just that feeling alone, the way her walls were trying so desperately to suck him dry, was almost more than he could handle without blowing his load right then. He pulled back and his hips snapped forward of their own accord. The resounding slap of his flesh against hers combined with the cry of pleasure from Lucy filled him with an intense desire to pull more from her. His hips snapped again, and it left him breathless with just how wonderful it felt to have her wrapped around him. To give her what she wanted and needed.

"Don't hold back, sugar," Lucy moaned, feeling the tension in Cobra's muscles as he tried to keep himself under control. She knew that there was only so much he could take of the slow and gentle pace he'd started before he'd want to feel more, and she was more than happy to give him whatever he wanted.

Cobra rolled her nipple between his fingers and growled again when that wilder side of hers started making itself the loudest of all the sounds in her soul. He picked up in speed when her hips rolled to meet him thrust for thrust. "Lucy… Oh god…" he groaned loudly. "You feel so goddamn good…"

Lucy grinned seductively only for it to falter when he lowered his head to her chest and wrapped his lips around her nipple. Her eyes shot open wide, and she pulled him closer only to cry out when the growl he let loose vibrated through her. Each passing second only had Cobra moving faster, harder, becoming more ravenous. She could feel just how much he'd longed to touch her like this in every move he made- every time he teased her puckered nipples, every hard thrust. All she could do was hold on for the ride, and try to make sure she gave him just as much pleasure as he gave her.

He couldn't explain how he'd gone from slowly gliding in and out of her to slamming into her core with reckless abandon. Cobra honestly hadn't the foggiest idea of just when he'd become a sex-crazed beast that needed to feast on every inch of her flesh, but he also couldn't find it in him to care with the way Lucy was moaning his name. He quickly switched his lips to her other breast, roughly sucking the pink peak into his mouth while he gripped her hips and started pulling her more forcefully onto him. He needed to feel her cresting that peak into bliss again, and vowed to do everything in his power to pull as many of those skin-tingling cries of ecstasy as he possibly could from her before the night was out. Earlier, her soul had been begging him to do just that, and he was more than happy to oblige.

Lucy's back arched again as her eyes clenched shut, and Cobra ripped his mouth from her chest to grit his teeth while she fell over the edge again. "More, Lucy," he growled low in his throat, grinning when she visibly shivered.

"H-Harder," Lucy moaned, wantonly rolling her hips. "Erik, fuck me  _harder_."

"Shit," Cobra growled, propping himself up on his knees and slamming into her. He was utterly enraptured by the sight of her body so willingly accepting what he gave her, and was torn between watching those perfect tits of hers bouncing in time with each thrust or watching where his cock was being stroked by her tight sheath. There was a loud crack that sounded out through the room, and his eye widened slightly while a chill ran through him. He ignored it to the best of his ability, not wanting to think about the memories a sound like that dredged up, and pulled back until he was sitting at her entrance. He drove into her with all of the power he could muster, flinching when she cried out as the headboard cracked against the wall again. He knew he wasn't hurting her, so he grabbed her hips and kept going. Faster and faster, Cobra started wildly pounding into her sex, gritting his teeth against the onslaught of memories that flooded his mind.

_The crack of a whip. A sharp cry of pain. So much blood. Dirt in his eyes. Another lash across his back._

"Yes… God, yes! Oh, Erik!" Lucy shouted, tightly gripping the edge of the bed to keep herself in place while he kept a relentless pace. "Oh, don't stop!"

" _Don't! Stop!"_  Those had been the same words he had screamed to his tormentors in the Tower. He had begged and pleaded with them to leave him alone. To just stop hurting him. "Fuck!" Cobra growled, not willing to stop moving no matter how much his anxiety had spiked, "Not again…" He was panting heavily, flinching with each crack of the headboard against the wall- and consequently the crack of a whip in his mind- until he realized he was moments away from pulling away from Lucy and curling up into a little ball. He refused to let that happen right now. He was flooded with adrenaline from his fear trying to take over, and it was warring heavily with the intense pleasure that was coursing through him. There was no way in hell he was going to let his past dictate his life any longer.

Lucy's eyes shot open when a groan from Cobra turned into a whimper. She looked worriedly up at him to see his hair plastered to his face, a thin sheen of sweat covering his whole body, and a grimace pulling at his lips. She moaned when he plunged into her again, and that was when she noticed him flinch once the headboard hit the wall. "E-Erik?" she asked, another loud moan barreling out of her when he only moved faster.

Cobra snarled at his inability to keep his shit together even when it came to fucking his girlfriend. He thought he was past this; hoped really. Even still… He wasn't going to give up. He just needed to remind himself that he was in control of this. He wasn't stuck in the past, and he wasn't a slave that was being beaten and tortured. Lucy wasn't going to hurt him; if anything, she was making him feel better than he'd ever felt in his life. He was in his bed with a beautiful and radiant woman that was crazy enough to love a shitstain like him, not lying on cold and unforgiving stone while shackles dug into his wrists. Without even realizing it- and without hearing the startled shriek Lucy let out when he did it- Cobra let out a vicious snarl as he dove down and roughly grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the bed without missing a beat while his lips locked onto her neck. He growled again when he sucked that sweet bit of flesh into his mouth, burying himself as deeply as possible before rocking his hips into her over and over.

"Erik! Oh…  _Annnnghhhhh…_ Right there!" Lucy panted, arching her neck to give him better access.

He nipped at her neck where the dark hickey was surfacing, then slid his nose up to her ear. "I love you…  _Nnghhh..._  So goddamn much…" he growled low in his throat, a wicked grin pulling at his lips when she shivered just from the sound of his voice. "Tell me you love me…"

"Fuck, S-Sugar… I-I…  _Ooohhh_ … I love y-you!" Lucy cried out when he pulled out of her completely before slamming into her again, causing another even louder smack to sound out from the headboard. "A-Always!" He did it again, his teeth scraping over her neck and shoulder while his grip on her wrists tightened. "Oh, just like th-that!"

Cobra shifted so both of her wrists were held in one hand, then used the other to dive between them and started circling her swollen nub faster and faster. He loved the way she screamed for him, especially since it was slowly drowning out the noise that had been causing his anxiety to spike. Lucy wasn't screaming in pain, but pleasure. He could hear her soul's waves thrashing, the thunder and lightning nearly constant. The fire in her was burning brighter than ever, and that predatory growl was growing more insistent by the second. When Lucy tensed around him, Cobra growled, "That's it, beautiful. Cum for me again…"

Cobra lifted his head to watch her fall over the edge, loving the suddenly dead air that filtered through her as everything came to a crashing halt just before she flew into the heavens. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes rolled back, and it seemed that the rest of her body was taking its cue from those chocolate orbs as her back bowed at a highly unnatural angle while she exploded around him. Then there was that tiny little wrinkle she always seemed to get right over the bridge of her nose as her lips pulled back in an astoundingly gratifying snarl of her own. Still, he couldn't stop. His anxiety had decreased, but not nearly enough for him to be able to cum with her the next time around. "More!" he growled again as he barred his arms around her slender waist and lifted Lucy's mostly limp body onto his lap.

Cobra gasped as just how much of Lucy's sex was enveloping him like this, much more than he'd experienced thus far. The rhythmic clenching of her walls around him only served to make him pull her up before dropping her back down, driving himself deeper within her. "Oh,  _fuck_ _ **yes**_!" he growled in her ear, feeling the shiver of lust and longing steadily increasing as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. His hips rocked each time she was seated fully in his lap, and he moaned when Lucy finally looked at him for a moment only to slant her mouth over his.

Tongues and teeth and lips clashed and battled violently, and Lucy steadied her feet on the bed before she started riding Cobra faster than he'd been moving her. His hands slid all over her, massaging her back and ass and hips, gliding up to tease her breasts, even tangling in her hair to deepen the kiss more than she thought humanly possible. Lucy rolled her hips and screamed when he snarled wildly and grabbed her hips hard enough to leave bruises.

"Don't stop, Lucy," Cobra growled. "Fuck, you're so wet!"

"Erik, I… I can't…" Lucy whimpered, feeling a wave of exhaustion rush through her. She gasped when he wrapped his arms under her legs, then moved forward so her back was pressed against the headboard.

"You can, beautiful," Cobra groaned. "Shit… I'm gonna make sure of it…" With her body holding the headboard against the wall, the memories of that cracking whip disappeared. The pressure that he hadn't been able to sense at all while he was starting to flip his shit came back full force, and he bared his pointed teeth while he pistoned into her weeping sex. Every gasp, every moan that had her hoarse voice cracking from overuse, and the way Lucy held him so tightly had every nerve in his body lighting up. He felt her everywhere. The way her breasts bounced and glided against his chest, how slick both of them were with sweat, her short breaths fanning over his face while she tried to keep up with him. Everything was driving him forward, forcing him to keep pleasing her.

All he wanted was for Lucy to feel just how much he loved her, how much everything she had ever done for him really meant. She had saved him from himself countless times before, and he knew that she wasn't even aware of it. It was just the kind of person she was, and that was what had made her soul so perfect in his eyes. Sure, she had a clarity that no one else he'd ever heard did, and her soul was perpetually singing no matter how dire the circumstances might be, but it was what he'd never heard before that night- the true song within her that held more love than he'd ever known possible- that had left him feeling as though she needed to be worshipped. Cobra wasn't one for bowing down before anybody, but for her? He'd fucking grovel at her feet if she asked.

"Erik… P-Please! I-I can't… Oh  _GOD_!"

"That's it… Let me love you, Lucy…" Cobra's eye went wide when he felt her trembling against him, and smelled the faintest hint of tears through the musky scent of sex in the room. He quickly figured out that they weren't sad tears, but ones of joy. "Just one more, baby," he whispered. "Together… I'm so…  _Mmm…_  So close."

Lucy whimpered and bit her lips, feeling the proof of Cobra's statement in how frantic his thrusts had become as he pounded into her, and just how hard he'd gotten as he swelled inside of her. She used the last of her energy to swirl her hips around, and froze when that small movement catapulted her over the edge one last time with his name tearing from her and fading into nothingness when her voice finally gave out.

Cobra had expected Lucy's head to slam back into the wall with just how intense her climax was, and had been slightly worried that she would end up raking her nails down his back like he'd heard so many women had a tendency to do while in the throes of passion. Instead, she surprised him yet again when she lunged forward and wrapped herself tightly around him as though he was her only anchor to reality. That simple act of touch borne purely from her love for him made something buried deep inside of him shatter, and that was all it took for him to finally come undone. He speared into her one last time with a loud roar of ecstasy that shook the windows in his room, and that sudden rush of his release as he filled her spasming core only caused a series of feral growls to escape him on every shuddering exhale.

While she trembled and whimpered against him, Cobra slowly moved to lay them both down on the bed, settling himself on top of her once more. He felt so open and free right then- more so than just the euphoric calm of his release that he knew would happen. Lucy's soul had been ringing so beautifully in his ears that when he heard a new, lower melody starting to accompany it, he was slightly confused. It was wholly different from anything within her, holding a splash of darkness in the dulcet tones and vibrations that echoed through it. He listened closely as that deeper song began harmonizing with hers, and found himself getting lost in the new and richer quality of those combined songs. That was when it hit him though… There were few times that Cobra had been able to hear his own soul, because it wasn't something his magic was attuned to. He was more aware of it because of his magic, but he never heard it sing like he did with Lucy. Until that night.

When Lucy came back to herself, she smiled lazily while Cobra peppered her face and neck with gentle kisses. He was still buried deep within her, but the feeling of his hand slowly gliding over her sensitized, sweat-slicked skin had her letting out a breathy moan while she pushed one hand into his damp maroon locks while the other slid down his arm. Her palm pressed to the back of his hand, and she laced their fingers together while pulling it up to her mouth. "I… love you…" she whispered, feeling her throat scratching uncomfortably, then pressed her lips to the scar wrapping around his wrist.

Cobra chuckled and used their joined hands to turn her to face him, kissing her gently. A soft smile played across his lips when he looked down at her again, still hearing both of their souls creating a soothing lullaby that was filled with happiness. "I love you too, Lucy. God, you have no idea how much I love you…"

Lucy let out a ghost of a giggle and squeezed his hand.  _"I think I have an idea, Sugar. I can't feel my legs…"_

Cobra let out a bark of laughter and buried his nose in her hair while he slowly withdrew from her sex, fully enjoying the way Lucy shivered and smiled as he laid down beside her. "Well, you did say I was supposed to make you into a limp noodle. Based on how you're wiggling you're toes, I'm gonna assume I've accomplished my mission."

' _Definitely no comparison there… It's on a whole other level when you really love someone,'_  Lucy thought happily. _'God, I wish I could hear like he does right now… I'd love to know what his soul sounds like. I bet it's just as beautiful and amazing as he is…'_

"I don't know about all that," Cobra whispered, stroking Lucy's sweaty hair from her face and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, "But it's singing with yours right now."

 _"I didn't know it could do that."_ Lucy slowly turned to look at him, smiling and sighing happily when he kissed her again.

"Yep. It's not really common, but it happens." Cobra paused and grinned when Lucy wrapped her arm around his waist while snuggling closer to him. Her fingers lightly danced over the scars on his back, and only the barest remnant of a shiver ran through him. He couldn't believe that he hadn't realized before that her soul had been calling out to him when it had originally started purring, but now that his own soul was creating such an intriguing sort of waltz with hers, he knew that his had been doing the same thing. It was why Lucy had always been able to feel his love for her in just his touch, even though it had been so hard for him to do. Even without being able to hear his soul, Lucy had always been surprisingly in tune with it.

 _"Why does it happen, Sugar?"_  Lucy fought to stifle a yawn, feeling just how tired she was already. A light blush dusted across her cheeks when Cobra pulled away to grab the comforter that had gotten bunched at the foot of the bed and carefully laid it over them as he laid back down.

"They were calling out to each other," Cobra whispered. He sighed when Lucy placed her head on his chest and draped her leg over his. She had never been able to cuddle up to him quite like this while he was conscious. It had always been him holding her until they were both asleep, then at some point during the night they would shift and she would be clinging to him just like this by morning. He always woke up before she did, so she didn't have to see his initial reaction to waking up with her touching so much of him. Now he was able to just enjoy how it felt to have Lucy so willingly wrapping herself around him. "Your soul has been trying to get my stubborn ass to listen from what I can tell, and now... Now I can hear them together... It's really amazing, Lucy... I never thought I'd get to hear my own soul doing this."

_"So, what makes them call out to each other and start singing together?"_

Cobra chuckled and let his fingers glide up and down her bare back, fully enjoying the concept of a totally naked Lucy in his bed. "Love, Bright Eyes. The kind that goes down to the very center of your soul, not the superficial bullshit people claim is love. Pretty damn sappy, huh?"

 _"Nah. I think it's great."_  Lucy grinned tiredly up at him, then kissed the center of his chest.  _"We're soul-buddies, Erik. I think my soul reallllly likes yours..."_

"I would hope so..." he chuckled. "My soul just fucked the shit outta yours. And damn is it a screamer..."

Lucy gaped at him with a slight smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.  _"My soul is_ _ **not**_ _a screamer..."_ In an instant, her lips pursed together as she gave him a childishly petulant pout.  _"_ _ **Your**_ _soul is the screamer..."_

Cobra blinked once. Twice. Then firmly said, "No."

Lucy's lower lip trembled, her eyes widening and her brow pushing together.  _"Yes..."_

Cobra rolled his eye and kissed her forehead again. "Fine, they both are..."

_"I... I can live with that."_

Cobra rolled his eye again, then chuckled as he gave her a cheeky grin. "You never denied the first part, Lucy."

 _"No point in denying the truth, now is there?"_ She smiled happily up at him, seeing for the first time just how relaxed he was now that she could touch him.  _"Want me to get you a drink before bed?"_

The fact that Lucy always remembered those little things- like his love of warm bleach right before he went to sleep- had Cobra holding her even closer. Every time she had discovered some new quirk of his, Lucy had thought about any number of possible reasons for it, then accepted that it was just part of who he was and added it to the impressive catalog that was her brain. "Not tonight, baby" he whispered. "I've got everything I need right here."

_"You're a sweetheart and a half, Erik."_

"No, you're the sweetheart. I'm the half."

_"Nice... Got any other cheesy lines, Sugar?"_

"That wasn't cheesy... 'You may think yourself sharp as cheddar, but you shall melt like mozzarella before my fury!' Now  _that's_ cheesy..."

 _"Goddamnit, Erik..."_ Lucy dropped her head to his chest and started shaking with laughter.  _"Please don't start with the puns again... I almost pissed myself last time!"_

"Well, it looks like urine trouble." Cobra laughed when Lucy started shaking more forcefully. "I can do this all night, Lucy. I had way too much time on my hands in prison..."

 _"You mean you did other stuff aside from jerking it to my tits?!"_ Lucy asked in feigned offense.  _"How dare you!"_

"I wasn't gonna jerk off in front of the guards, now was I? I had to do something else and puns have always been hilarious to me... Besides, I'm pretty sure a couple years of nonstop masturbation would have killed me."

_"Not to mention the chafing..."_

Cobra let out another bark of laughter and was quickly followed by Lucy's own fit of rasping giggles. "See? That right there is why I fucking love you," he said once they had both calmed down. "I might not need a drink, but I know you do. Your throat's gonna be sore as hell tomorrow if we don't get you something before bed."

 _"Mmm... Nope..."_ Lucy shook her head and latched onto Cobra just as he was about to sit up.  _"You're not going anywhere, Erik. I'm comfy, and I wanna cuddle with you."_

"You're fucking ridiculous sometimes."

Lucy turned and sleepily glared at him.  _"I don't know who this 'Ridiculous' person is, but the only dick I'm interested in fucking is yours, Erik. Now hold still…"_  She wiggled slightly and got herself more comfortable with a happy smile when he sighed in defeat and relaxed back onto the bed.  _"I'm getting my cuddle on with your sexy ass whether you like it or not!"_

Cobra chuckled again and shook his head while he looked down at the cherubic face lying on his chest. Within minutes, Lucy was out like a light, and all he could do was watch her sleep. Her light, creamy skin contrasted so heavily against his own much darker complexion, making it seem as though she was glowing in the pale moonlight that barely peeked in through the blinds and drapes. She looked just like an angel with her blonde hair fanning out over the arm that he'd wrapped around her back. Looking at her like this, seeing how peaceful and content she was in his arms, the small smile on her kiss-swollen lips, and how she just barely shifted only to press more of herself against him had Cobra completely in awe of how his life had turned out. A part of him wondered if there was someone out there in the universe running around like a chicken with its head cut off and screaming about how someone had royally fucked up by letting Lucy anywhere near him, but that thought died in an instant when Lucy shifted again.

"Love you… Erik…" she mumbled sleepily, letting her lips barely brush over his chest before settling back into the new and amazingly comfortable nook she'd found. "Mmm… So much…"

Cobra waited until Lucy was completely unconscious again- already knowing that she had a tendency to wake up at least once every few hours no matter how exhausted she was- then tenderly stroked her hair, her cheek, from her neck down to her shoulder, and finally wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "I love you too, Lucy. Always have," he finally admitted into the silence of the room. Maybe he would tell her one day that he'd noticed her before she had returned from Tenrou with the other Fairy Tail members… That he had only said he heard her soul for the first time during the Infinity Clock because it seemed far less creepy to only think about someone for a couple years instead of over a decade. Knowing Lucy, she already saw through that little white lie he'd told her and figured out that when he said 'Infinity Clock,' he really meant 'Nirvana'.

Her involvement was part of the reason he'd been so angry during that whole debacle of trying to sacrifice her to the clock for Midnight's plan. He had been searching for a way to find Cubellios, and hadn't given two shits about what Midnight was planning as long as he was out of prison. That is, until he heard just who the narcoleptic shit was going to target. When he'd sacrificed his eye to gain more power, it had been in the hope that he'd find Cubellios and maybe get someone else that could act as a sacrificial lamb so Lucy wouldn't have to be hurt. She had been missing for seven years, and he'd been locked up and thinking about the soul that seemed so untouchable when he first encountered her. It wasn't that he thought switching out the sacrifice would make her want to be with him in any capacity, just that he didn't want a soul like hers to get snuffed out. When he told Midnight about his idea, it had been shot down. Imitatia, that creepy ass doll-turned-woman, was already in place. It was too late to back out, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

One thing that he always remembered about that day, when he'd done everything he could to ignore the blonde woman that was getting slowly absorbed by the clock, was what she had been thinking about. Of course, there was her fear of them succeeding, her determination to thwart their plans (something he had sincerely hoped would work), and her belief that her friends would get there in time to help her. But what had caught him off guard- for the first time in quite a while- was what she thought of while glaring daggers at himself, Midnight, and Angel.

' _Fucking 'Angel' my ass; she's a white-haired psychopath covered in fucking feathers... God, Midnight's creepier than ever. At least he's awake this time; although, I'm not sure if that's an improvement. I think I preferred him sleeping... And without a damn boa...'_

Cobra had been internally laughing at her little inner monologue until she looked at him. Everything seemed to still for her, and he'd been frozen in place while he waited to see just what she would think about.

' _Cobra… Why isn't his snake here? Natsu said he seemed to really love it… Poor guy… He just looks like he doesn't want to be here… Well, I'm right there with you Cobra...' She laughed internally. 'What do you say you and I get the hell outta here, huh? Wow, Lucy… Ready to run off with someone that's trying to kill you? Smart fucking cookie, you are… Still though… I bet he'd jump at the chance to get away from all of this… I can feel it... It's too bad he can't hear me... I'd love for someone to help me get the fuck out of here...'_

Lucy Heartfilia had been one huge enigma to him from that point on. He hadn't known how she could possibly have seen just how little he wanted any of that bullshit to happen, or what would have made  _her_ think about Cubellios. With his ability to hear a person's soul, he was used to butting in on their most personal thoughts… But, it had never happened to him. And the woman hadn't even known just how right she had been. He  _would_  have jumped at the chance to drag her away from that place. He already loved her at that point, but hadn't known that was the emotion he was feeling. In retrospect, he knew now… Now that he could feel that love from her, could hear what it sounded like in so many people in Fairy Tail. He recognized it easily, and he wished that things had gone differently back then. What would have happened if he had actually gone with his gut and told Midnight to fuck off with his plan? What if he had turned on the people he was essentially raised with, just like Brain had once turned on him? It would have been completely out of character for him to give a shit about anyone else's well-being, but back then he could have easily chalked it up to his own selfish desire to want to hear her soul.

Cobra took a shallow breath filled with her vanilla scent, smirking when he could also smell his own toxic scent all over her, and kissed the top of her head. "I want you to be the only one for me too," he whispered. "It's always been you. So, when you're ready for it, I want you to tell me. I'll run away with you this time around if you want, Lucy…" He closed his eye and smiled happily while she mumbled his name on a breathy sigh, hearing small snippets of her dream and letting the utter insanity that was her crazed dreamscape lull him to sleep.

* * *

Lucy woke up slowly, feeling every single ache and creaking joint in her whole body protesting her very existence. The night before played over again in her head, and a lazy smile spread across her face while she snuggled into Cobra's bare chest. For some reason, her dream the night before had been about him whispering softly to her while they stood in front of a huge wall of runes, with the landscape all around them caught in a raging inferno. The only thing protecting them from the flames was a waist high scaly purple wall that wrapped around them in a tender embrace.

" _This is when I really fell in love with you, Bright Eyes." Cobra shrugged and smiled sadly at the fire around them, running his hand reminiscently along the purple wall. "I'll run away with you this time around if you want, Lucy… Just give me the word, and I'll be yours forever…"_

Lucy sighed and shook her head while she traced Cobra's guild mark on the front of his shoulder.  _'Silly dreams,'_ she thought,  _'They never make any sense...'_

"I think it makes perfect sense, baby," Cobra grumbled sleepily. He slowly rolled over until he was lying mostly on top of her, then hummed and nuzzled her hair.

"Wanna enlighten me, oh wise one?" Lucy whispered, wincing when the strain on her throat felt like she'd swallowed all of Erza's swords at once

"Told you that you're throat would hurt," Cobra said with a smirk. He yawned, then stretched slowly with a tired groan. As he settled back against her, grinning when she lightly kissed his neck, he said, "And, I'm not telling. I will say you already know the answer, so you can figure it out for yourself. Now hush... We're going back to sleep."

Lucy giggled, then winced at just how raw her throat was. "Sugar-"

Cobra would never admit it to anyone, but he whined at the thought of Lucy not being in bed with him. "Do you  _have_  to get up?" When he heard just how adamant Lucy was to start her day, along with the fact that he was pushing on her bladder, he sighed and rolled off of her. "You suck... Mostly that bladder of yours... But you do, too..."

"Aww, such a sweetheart," Lucy rasped, smiling sweetly when Cobra slowly opened his eye just enough to look at her. Almost as if she could hear what he was thinking, Lucy added, "Get some more sleep, and I'll wake you up when breakfast is ready... Maybe you can get breakfast in bed..."

Cobra eyed Lucy hungrily as she slid out of the bed, listening to just what she had in mind for after breakfast. "You're amazing, Bright Eyes. I say forget getting dressed and get that ass back over here..."

Lucy rolled her eyes while she walked over to Cobra's closet. "I love you too, handsome." She walked out a minute later wearing one of his shirts, rolling up the sleeves like she always did when she borrowed one so she wouldn't drag the excess material everywhere. After pulling on a pair of her black lace boyshorts that had wheedled their way into his underwear drawer, Lucy went back to the bed and squealed when she was pulled down on top of him. "Can I help you?" she giggled.

"Uh-huh. I wanna have  _you_  for breakfast," Cobra nearly growled while his hands massaged up her thighs and pushed under the shirt to her hips. "I love seeing you in my shirts... You always look so damn edible."

Lucy blushed and laid herself flush against Cobra's chest, then tenderly kissed him. "I'll still be in your shirt after breakfast, Sugar. I'm pretty sure you don't wanna have a golden shower, so I'm gonna go."

"Damnit, woman," Cobra grumbled petulantly. He gave her one more kiss then sighed when Lucy winked at him before rushing off to the bathroom. He slowly rolled over onto his side and nestled his nose in the pillow that still smelled like Lucy. When he closed his eye to get a little more sleep, he couldn't help but grin over what she'd been dreaming about.

* * *

Lucy hummed softly while she flipped the pancakes over to start cooking the other side, then rolled her eyes when there was a sharp knock on the door. Looking at the time to see it was already past ten in the morning, Lucy sighed and turned down the stove so nothing would burn, then took off her apron and made her way to the front door. One glance through the peephole- something Cobra had been extremely adamant about her doing while she was at his place, since he was sure someone he'd pissed off in the past could come around at any time to try and off him (even though she was sure that they wouldn't be knocking)- had Lucy smiling and shaking her head at the sight of her team waiting patiently like  _normal_ people. Why they couldn't manage to do this at her apartment was beyond her, but at least they had the wherewithal to do it at Cobra's. She unlocked the deadbolts (yes, there were two of them), the lock on the knob, and undid the small iron chain lock that Cobra had commissioned Gajeel to make for him, then opened the door with a wide and inviting smile. "Hey, guy- Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gray, Happy, and Erza just gaped when they saw Lucy wearing nothing more than what was very obviously Cobra's shirt. They took in the sloppy bun she'd pulled her hair into, the light red marks on her wrists, and one large hickey on her neck before Gray blurted out, "Why didn't you tell us you were sleeping with Cobra?"

Lucy blinked owlishly and rasped, "Um… Because we hadn't slept together until last night…?"

Gray opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off quickly by Erza. "Lucy, you told him at the guild that you love him… How… How long have you two been together?" She was highly concerned for Lucy's wellbeing, but it wasn't because of who she had chosen to be with. Erza had no room to talk when it came to loving someone with a jaded past, since she had been dating Macbeth for quite some time now. No, Erza just wanted to ensure that Lucy was happy, and that Cobra hadn't rushed her into anything.  _'If it hasn't been long enough, I'll use that Holy Hammer on him and make sure he flies further than a few miles,'_  she thought.

"We've been dating for almost two years, Erza," Lucy said happily, a light blush dusting her cheeks while she looked at each of her dearest friends to see their mouths hanging open almost comically. Everyone, that is, except for Natsu. He was just smiling happily, giving her that same goofy grin he always had.

Natsu had known about the secret relationship nearly from the beginning, since his heightened sense of smell gave him the advantage of smelling Lucy and Cobra all over each other. He could tell they hadn't had sex- and was actually extremely curious what was taking so long, since Lucy and Gajeel had only been together for about a month before they took it to that level- but when he'd just asked her about smelling Cobra on her, Lucy had come clean and told him that she had been dating the Poison Slayer for nearly two months by that point. Since he was standing behind the rest of the group, Natsu was able to give Lucy a brilliant grin and a thumbs up without any of them being any the wiser that he'd known longer than they had.

Lucy was able to predict the catastrophic meltdown with such accuracy that when she got to five in the countdown in her head, she levelled Gray, Happy, and Erza with a glare and quietly said, "He's still sleeping, and if you three wake him up with your loud ass mouths, I'm letting him poison your food." Each of them clamped their jaws shut, even Erza paled slightly, and Lucy sighed then stepped to the side. "Now, come on in and stay  _quiet_ , and I'll get you all some breakfast." Just as Lucy turned around to let her team follow her into the apartment, she smiled softly when she saw Cobra sleepily stumbling out of the hallway that led to his bedroom wearing nothing more than a pair of blue and black plaid pajama pants she had gotten him last Christmas. With a soft giggle- and the thought that he might not want people to see him without a shirt on never even occurring to her- Lucy made her way towards him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek while he continued on a direct path to the dining room table. "Good morning, Erik," she whispered sweetly when he plopped himself down in a chair, his head dropping unceremoniously onto the dark wooden top.

"Coffee…" Cobra grumbled sleepily. "I can't deal with your team if I don't have coffee, Bright Eyes." He slowly lifted his head when the most delectable aroma of a strong cup of black coffee and two shots of Inland Taipan venom wafted right up into his sinuses while Lucy stood behind him, coffee cup in hand. "You're the most amazing woman ever…"

"Ask nicely, or I'm pouring it down the drain, Erik," Lucy whispered, trying to rest her voice as much as possible.

Cobra groaned when she told him to ask nicely, but his head shot up and his eye went wide when he heard just how serious she was about pouring it down the drain. "Okay okay…" he said quickly, "May I  _please_  have that delicious cup of coffee, so I can deal with your crazy ass team?"

Lucy giggled and set the cup on the table, then put her hand on top of it before he could down it all right away. "Sip it slowly, Sugar. It's still hot," she said, "And… I want a kiss before you drink enough crazy snake venom to kill a few thousand people in less than thirty minutes."

The rest of Team Natsu stood just inside the now closed doorway, watching in shock as Cobra smiled softly up at Lucy and pulled her into a tender kiss the likes of which none of them had thought he was capable of. Slowly, the three mages and one Exceed made their way further into the apartment and sat down around the table while Lucy walked off to the kitchen with a smile plastered on her face.

Cobra groaned in utter delight when he took his first sip of coffee, then slowly opened his eye to see Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Happy looking at him. "Ugh… What…"

"So, uh… You and Lucy-" Gray started to say, only for Cobra to roll his eye and set his cup down softly on the table.

"Let's cut the bullshit, okay? It's too fuckin' early for you to pussyfoot around when I already know what you wanna ask me," Cobra said. "Yes, Lucy and I have been dating for two years. Yes, last night was the first time we had sex. No, I don't have any intention of breaking her heart. And no, she calls me 'Sugar' because it's her favorite type of 'poison', since too much sugar in your body can kill you."

Gray's mouth quickly clamped shut and he sat back in his chair, not realizing that his shirt had 'mysteriously' disappeared just before he sat down.

Cobra looked over to Erza. "While I'm glad you don't disapprove of our relationship because of my past, know that I'm not planning on 'besmirching her honor' or any crazy shit like that. I'm gonna make sure she's happy, and unless she finds some insane way to block me from hearing her soul, I'll know if she's not happy before you do. Yes, I've known for a while now that if I hurt her, everyone in the goddamn  _country_  will be out for my blood. That's not exactly something  _new_  for me, but I get it… Also, you keep that goddamn hammer the hell away from me. Once was enough."

Erza nodded shortly, feeling much more at ease that Cobra was willing to answer the most important questions on her mind.

Cobra turned to Happy and said, "I more than 'llliiiiike' her, I love her. And I have for a while now." He paused and took a large gulp of his coffee, sighing as the venom flowed quickly through him, waking him up more than a whole pot of coffee could have. "No, I'm not telling you when I fell in love with her. Also, if you call her fat while I'm anywhere near you… I'm gonna roast your ass like a fucking rotisserie chicken. She actually gets really upset when you say it, so cut that shit out."

Happy's ears dropped slightly, then he nodded while curling himself up in Natsu's lap.

Cobra looked up to see Natsu frowning at him. "I'm not gonna let anyone make her feel like shit about herself, even if he's just joking. It's bad enough Capricorn tells her that she needs to go on a diet all the time, she doesn't need it from him too. There's not a damn thing wrong with the way she looks, and I won't listen to anyone filling her head with bullshit on the matter. Yes, she keeps it to herself because she knows he's joking, but it still upsets her." He narrowed his eye for a minute, then remembered what Natsu had been thinking about when Lucy opened the door to let them in. "And the reason we waited so long is because of me." He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face, then tensed slightly when he realized he'd forgotten to put a shirt on.

Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the large scars wrapping around his wrists, and Erza's mouth went dry when she instantly realized where they must have come from. She remembered the shackles that she had been chained in while she was locked in the Tower, and while her wrists had been lucky enough not to sustain any sort of scarring, there was still her eye… Everyone that had been in that hellhole had years of torment they all had to overcome, and the secrecy around Lucy's relationship with Cobra suddenly made much more sense to Erza now that she thought about it.

' _Fuck… Too late now...'_  Cobra thought. He slowly looked at the rest of Lucy's team and sighed. "She's a goddamn saint for putting up with my shit these past two years, especially since I can't stand being touched."

"Huh?" Gray asked, furrowing his brow. It didn't seem as though Cobra had any issue with Lucy touching or kissing him the night before when they were making out on stage, or even that morning with the way they kissed. Hell, even having sex involved a fair amount of physical contact.

Cobra sneered and glared at the table while he finished off his coffee. "Being in the Tower of Heaven fucked me up, and Brain's sadistic ass didn't help matters. To put it simply, if anyone touches me right now, I'll tear you to pieces to keep you from hurting me. She's a different story, because I trust her not to hurt me. So, it's because of me that we didn't do anything before last night… Not that it's any of your damn business."

"Then why-" Natsu asked.

"Why am I telling you?" Cobra asked with a smirk, glancing toward the kitchen as Lucy started pulling dishes out from the cupboard. He stood up and grabbed his empty cup, then said, "Because Lucy cares about you guys. She's important to me, so I don't mind answering a few questions." With that, he turned around and made his way to the kitchen, grimacing once he heard their reactions to the scars on his back.

' _Holy fucking hell… What happened to him?!'_  Gray thought incredulously.

' _I've never seen anyone with that many scars from the Tower… What could he have done to warrant so many lashings at that age...'_

' _Cobra's back looks like I used it as a scratching post...'_

' _As long as Luce can touch you without getting hurt, I don't care about your scars. But… I'll try to remember not to touch you now that I know,'_  Natsu silently told Cobra as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"Hey, you," Lucy said after finishing her cup of honey-infused tea, a soft smile on her lips now that her throat felt ten times better. "Everything alright in there?"

Cobra nodded and set his cup on the counter, then pulled Lucy into his arms and nestled his nose in her hair. "Yeah. Need some help in here, baby?" he whispered, shivering slightly when her fingers lightly danced over the scars on his back.

"Sure, Erik." She paused and narrowed her eyes at him, then they went wide as saucers. "You're… not wearing a shirt…"

"Yep, I figured that one out all on my own."

"Sugar…" Lucy whispered tenderly, her brows pushing together as she looked worriedly up at him.

"It's fine, Lucy," Cobra sighed. He hadn't wanted anyone to see his scars to begin with, since every person's gaze felt heavy on his skin and made it crawl, not to mention what they thought of while looking at his scars… Lucy had been a different story. He hadn't really wanted her to see them either, but he'd  _chosen_  to show her and she hadn't thought they were disgusting in the slightest. Her thoughts had been completely logical all the way up until she started checking out his muscles... Then she had descended into the most wonderfully perverted fantasies he'd ever heard. This time, he'd just been a dumbass that was too tired to remember something as simple as a shirt. "They would have seen eventually."

"That's not the point."

"Lucy… I know what you're thinking," Cobra said softly in warning. "It's  _fine_. I promise."

Lucy pulled away slightly to give Cobra a good hard stare to make sure he wasn't trying to keep something from her, then a sweet smile broke out across her face when he smirked and lifted his pinky into the air. "Oh, a pinky promise?" she teased, wrapping her pale slender pinky around his much darker one. "Alright. As long as you promise, then I won't have to maim them."

"Wait… Can I take it back? That actually sounds like it'd be really fun to watch…" Cobra chuckled when Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, then kissed the tip of that little pink muscle. "Let's get some food out there before Salamander burns the place down."

"HEY! I can hear you, y'know!" Natsu shouted petulantly.

"WE KNOW!" Lucy and Cobra shot back in unison, cackling wildly as they grabbed everything that she had made for breakfast and carried it out to the table.

_**.The End.** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple side notes:
> 
> -The Inland Taipan is considered the world's most venomous snake in comparison to both land and sea snakes. The venom from one bite is enough to kill 100 full grown men in as little as 30 minutes. Cobra's drink had two "shots" (the equivalent of about 88mL of fluid) of the venom in it… You'll get more details on things like this in my upcoming CoLu, 'Poison Fairy'.
> 
> -I'm fully aware that the amount of progress Cobra made in a single night with Lucy is highly unlikely and improbable (not necessarily impossible), but I ask you to remember that this is fiction. For the sake of progressing the story- without making it much longer than it already is- we just need to suspend disbelief in that particular instance. Normally, it would take months, if not years, to go from where they started at the beginning of the night to having sex with effective therapy (whether medication, or otherwise).
> 
> -I am leaving it up to your imaginations to decide whether one night of going without a condom will result in babies. I'm not extending this story, so it's up to you :D


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